Love on the High Seas
by vannahfanfics
Summary: A collection of oneshots for the fandom One Piece. DISCLAIMER: I do not own the characters presented in these stories, except my OCs. Those rights belong exclusively to Eiichiro Oda. My requests are currently: FINAL CALL! Requests will be closing soon!
1. Foreword

Hello everyone! Welcome to my oneshot collection for One Piece, _Love on the High Seas! _It includes a variety of stories, from passionate romances to tales of friendship, and I hope everyone enjoys reading them as much as I enjoy writing them. If you have migrated here from _Cuddle Corner, _thank you for sticking with me; if you are new, welcome and enjoy what I have here! In either case, happy reading!

I do take prompts/pairing and story requests (in fact, I love them, so please feel free to request!). However, there are a couple of guidelines to keep in mind:

If a prompt is submitted, I do not guarantee that I will agree to write it. If I feel uncomfortable at the prompt or otherwise feel like I do not possess enough information to adequately complete the prompt, it is my right to politely refuse to take the prompt. If the prompt is from a series that I have not read/seen, it is likely that I will place the prompt on hold until I have done so. If the prompt is from an anime filler arc, I may refuse or require a short explanation of the filler arc to provide me with enough detail to complete the prompt. Please respect my choice as an author to refuse prompts.

Most of the stories I write are male/female, mostly because this is what I am comfortable writing. However, if you wish to suggest a female/female or male/male prompt, please feel free to do so. I don't discriminate against such pairings and will most likely write them if requested, it is just unlikely that I will do so spontaneously. Again, please respect my decision as the author to refuse to write a pairing if I cannot draw appropriate inspiration.

Finally, this is _not _a place for smut. I respect people who read and/or write it, but I am not one of those people, so please do not request anything that is NSFW. Other than NSFW, there are two other things to keep I mind. _I do not romanticize cheating_. So if I feel your request involves something of this nature, I will politely refuse. I have been hassled about this before, so please don't press me on it. Secondly, _I am sensitive about large age gaps between characters_. These will be taken on a case-by-case basis and depends on the age of the characters as well as their relationship. I am particularly iffy concerning student-teacher relationships, and those will most likely be refused. Of course, everyone is entitled to their preferences and I will never harass you or judge you if you request something of this nature. All I ask is that if I refuse, you take is gracefully, and don't get upset if I happen to write another pairing with an age gap because the circumstances are most likely radically different. I promise you that I have my reasons.

Below is also a list of my other oneshot collections. Please do stop by if any of them pique your interest! Is there a fandom you love not represented? Please recommend it to me! I love new things to read.

The Bonds that We Hold Dear _(Naruto)_

Tales of Connected Souls _(Bleach)_

Tales from the Four Tribes _(Avatar: The Last Airbender and Avatar: The Legend of Korra)_

Equivalent Exchange: My Life for Yours _(Fullmetal Alchemist)_

Love Burning Bright _(Blue Exorcist)_

Tales of the Dawning Sun _(Yona of the Dawn)_

Love on a Fairy's Wing _(Fairy Tail)_

Tales of Resonating Souls _(Soul Eater)_

Tales from Ouran High_ (Ouran High School Host Club)_

One Sky, One Destiny _(Kingdom Hearts)_

Tales from Edo _(Gintama)_

Tales of Scattered Realms _(Final Fantasy Franchise)_

Tales of the Zodiac _(Fruits Basket)_

Tales of Heroes and Villains_ (My Hero Academia)_

Tales of Sinners and Saints _(The Seven Deadly Sins)_

Memories of the World Between_ (Noragami)_

Tales of the Mafia _(Katekyo Hitman Reborn!) _


	2. Index

**Chapter 1:** Mettle as a Wife _(Sanji/Nami)_

**Chapter 2:** The Man I Know and Love _(Sanji/Nami)_

**Chapter 3:** Truth or Dare _(Sanji/Nami)_

**Chapter 4:** She's Not You _(Sanji/Nami)_

**Chapter 5: **The Man I Know and Love Part II _(Sanji/Nami)_

**Chapter 6:** The Epiphany _(Luffy/Hancock)_

**Chapter 7:** My Knight in Shining Armor _(Sanji/Nami)_

**Chapter 8: **The Man I Know and Love Part III _(Sanji/Nami)_

**Chapter 9:** A Lovely New Assistant _(Sanji/Nami)_

**Chapter 10:** A Daring Rescue _(Luffy/Smoothie)_

**Chapter 11:** A Present for Nami _(Sanji/Nami)_

**Chapter 12:** Some Sound Advice _(Ace & Sanji/Nami)_

**Chapter 13:** A Bond of Trust _(Luffy/Nami & Sabo)_

**Chapter 14:** The Fated Reunion _(Luffy/Nami & Shanks)_

**Chapter 15:** War-Torn _(Luffy/Nami & Shanks)_

**Chapter 16:** A Bond of Trust Part II _(Luffy/Nami & Sabo)_

**Chapter 17:** Feverish _(Luffy/Nami & Shanks)_

**Chapter 18:** Fire and Water _(Nami/Sanji)_

**Chapter 19:** Sunrise _(Nami/Sanji)_

**Chapter 20:** Natural_ (Luffy/Nami)_

**Chapter 21:** Milk, Cookies, and Confessions of Love_ (Luffy/Nami)_

**Chapter 22:** Something Like That_ (Luffy/Nami)_

**Chapter 23:** Look at All Those Choppers!_ (Tony Tony Chopper)_

**Chapter 24:** Desert Ghost _(Nami/Ace & Sabo)_

**Chapter 25: **Just Another Day in Crazy Land_ (Chopper & Law)_

**Chapter 26:** Not the Same _(Luffy & Hancock)_

**Chapter 27:** On My Heart and Soul_ (Sanji/Nami)_

**Chapter 28:** A Dream of the Stars Upon Earth _(Sanji/Nami)_

**Chapter 29:** A Present for Nami Part II_ (Sanji/Nami)_

**Chapter 30:** The Tale of Carina_ (Carina)_

**Chapter 31:** Needed _(Luffy/Baby 5)_

**Chapter 32:** I'll Be Your Dawn_ (Sabo/Koala)_

**Chapter 33:** Look at All Those Choppers! Part II_ (Tony Tony Chopper)_

**Chapter 34:** Back and Forth_ (Law/Nami)_

**Chapter 35:** As Lovers Do_ (Sanji/Nami)_

**Chapter 36:** Even Polar Bears Need Mittens, Too!_ (Nami & Bepo)_

**Chapter 37:** All Yours_ (Nami/Sanji)_

**Chapter 38:** Homecoming _(Nami/Law & Nojiko & Ginzo)_

**Chapter 39:** I Know _(Luffy/Nami)_

**Chapter 40:** Peppermint Flare _(Law/Nami)_

**Chapter 41:** Frenemies _(Nami & X Drake)_

**Chapter 42:** A Straw Hat Birthday Party_ (Nami)_

**Chapter 43:** Sweet _(Zoro/Nami)_

**Chapter 44:** Icing on the Cake_ (Jewelry Bonney/X Drake)_

**Chapter 45:** Breathless_ (Law/Nami)_

**Chapter 46:** Some Sound Advice Part II _(Nami/Sanji)_

**Chapter 47:** Lost and Found _(Nami/Luffy & Shanks)_

**Chapter 48:** Dependable_ (Nami & Dragon & Sabo)_

**Chapter 49: **Sizzling Summer Heat _(Sanji/Nami)_

**Chapter 50:** Hibiscus and Honey _(Nami/Sanji)_

**Chapter 51:** Chase Away the Dark_ (Nami/Sanji)_

**Chapter 52:** Between the Lines_ (Nami/Ace)_

**Chapter 53:** Rainy Day Revelations_ (Nami/Sanji)_

**Chapter 54:** Pampered_ (Nami & Chopper & Robin)_

**Chapter 55:** Waltz of the Flowers_ (Sanji/Nami)_

**Chapter 56:** Home_ (Sanji/Nami)_

**Chapter 57:** A Canvas of Stars_ (Sanji/Nami)_

**Chapter 58:** Citrine_ (Sanji/Nami)_

**Chapter 59:** Special Delivery_ (Sabo/Koala)_

**Chapter 60:** A Princess and Her Prince_ (Sabo/Koala)_

**Chapter 61:** A Failure of a Valentine's Day_ (Sabo/Koala)_

**Chapter 62:** A Reason to Stay_ (Sabo/Koala)_

**Chapter 63:** Just Pretend_ (Sabo/Koala)_

**Chapter 64:** Baby Fever_ (Nami/Luffy & Shanks/Makino)_

**Chapter 65:** Sleep-Talking_ (Sabo/Koala)_

**Chapter 66:** Needed Part II_ (Luffy/Baby 5)_

**Chapter 67:** Not in Love _(Law/Nami)_

**Chapter 68:** Blessed_ (Luffy/Nami)_

**Chapter 69:** A Hard Day _(Law/Nami)_

**Chapter 70:** Selfish_ (Ace/Nami)_

**Chapter 71:** Together _(Luffy/Nami)_

**Chapter 72:** Yours, Mine, Ours_ (Law/Nami)_

**Chapter 73:** Bedside Manner_ (Law/Nami)_

**Chapter 74:** Deprived _(Zoro/Nami)_

**Chapter 75:** Over Coffee_ (Law/Robin)_

**Chapter 76:** Cantaloupe Kiss_ (Zoro/Nami)_

**Chapter 77:** A Fool in Love _(Hancock/Luffy)_

**Chapter 78:** Needed Part III_ (Luffy/Baby 5)_

**Chapter 79:** Honest_ (Sanji/Nami)_

**Chapter 80:** Tangerines and Stardust_ (Nami/Luffy)_

**Chapter 81:** Inclined to Agree _(Zoro/Robin)_


	3. Mettle As A Wife

Category: Romantic Fluff

Fandom: One Piece

Characters: Sanji and Nami

Special Tags: Modern AU

Nami nervously glanced at the clock on the kitchen wall, watching anxiously as the second hand slowly _tick-tick-ticked_ its way around the round surface. As she shifted uncomfortably in the wooden chair, her fingers twiddling and her anxiety rising, she wondered if she had somehow confused the time that Sanji would arrive home, or that he had decided to work late without calling her, or if something unforeseen had arisen to keep him. Sighing forlornly, she slumped down in the chair and pouted at the perfectly set table, complete with her finest dishes and a beautiful centerpiece with a burning candle. _Tonight, I wanted to surprise him with dinner, _she moped.

Ever since they had been married, Sanji, being a cook by trade, made a habit of cooking dinner when he arrived home from his restaurant. Nami was a meteorologist specializing in ocean weather current and predicting hurricanes, and although it was an intense job, she often arrived home earlier than he did most nights. There was no rhyme or reason to why he insisted on cooking for her, more than he enjoyed both cooking and doting on her, but for once she had decided to treat the man she loved. _But it looks like that isn't the case, _she whined silently as she got up to stir the pot of soup still simmering on the stove top.

She had broken into Sanji's recipe book to find something she, a novice at best, was capable of making, but had found the challenge trying. All she had managed to find was a simple beef stew, and to her displeasure it wasn't romantic in the slightest. Yet, it was all she could do, and so she had slaved away over it to try and replicate his design to the best of her ability. She wasn't sure how it had come out, in all honesty, and part of her worried that Sanji would take offense to her attempting to best his work. _He loves me. He would never… Right? _

She jumped violently when she heard the door unlock and her husband step into the entryway down the hall, so much so that she flung the ladle and sent soup all over the walls. Scrambling and screaming mentally, she hastily wiped it away with a dishtowel while praying her husband stuck to the habit of taking his time removing his shoes and chef's jacket. When he finally wandered into the kitchen, she was just finishing up, and she whirled around while flinging the soiled rag aside to beam nervously at him.

"What's all this?" he asked with a mildly confused expression, unsure whether to stare at her, the set table, or the pot of soup on the stove. Nami discreetly switched off the heat on the stove before bobbing over to him, indicating for him to sit down. Actually, she grabbed him by the shoulders and forced him into the chair, making him all the more perplexed.

"I made dinner!" she cried happily, hovering beside him in an attempt to gauge his reaction. "You always treat me, Sanji, so I decided to treat you! That's okay, right?" Thankfully, Sanji returned her bright smile with one of his own and rose out of the seat to peck her on the cheek, making her blush with delight.

"Of course it is. That makes me happy," he responded, leaning back in the chair and motioning for her to go about her business. Positively giddy, Nami grabbed his bowl and filled it with rice and stew, bringing it over to him carefully.

"Dinner is served!" she announced theatrically as she set it down in front of him.

"Beef stew?" he asked her, and his tone was hard to read so for an instant she thought he was disappointed. Then he grinned widely and grabbed a spoon to begin shoveling it into his mouth. "I love it!" he cried through mouthfuls.

"Really?!" she gasped, happiness welling up inside her like a balloon. "Oh, I'm so happy! Have some more!" she demanded and snatched the bowl away as soon as he was finished to refill it. He began eating it with gusto again, and as she basked in the praise she bobbed back over to the stove to fix herself a plate. Sanji noticed this and jumped up from the table, laughing nervously as he sidled to her side and took the bowl from her.

"No, no, what are you doing?" he asked her. She glanced up at him, her turn to be perplexed.

"Um… I'm eating?" she answered with a cocked eyebrow. _He's acting suspicious now. _

"But I don't want you to eat it! I'm selfish; it's so good, I want it to myself!" he grinned and promptly inhaled the entire bowl of her stew. _What…? _She thought in utter bewilderment, then gasped in horror. _He doesn't want me to eat it because it's bad! _

"No! I wanna taste it!" she snapped and snatched the ladle off the counter to dip it into the pot. Sanji yelped and grabbed the giant stainless steel pot, ripping it away from her and taking off across the house. "Hey! _Sanji!" _she shouted as she took off after him. She chased him into the living room, climbing over the couch to vault of the cushions and latch onto his back, wrapping her legs around his middle so her arms were free to reach towards the pot.

"Ahh! Nami! I'll fall!" he cried as he became dangerously unbalanced, the stew sloshing around in the pot and onto his clothes and the floor.

"I don't care!" she shouted angrily as she struggled to get a scoop of the stew out. "It's my creation! I wanna taste it!" Somehow, she managed to finally get a ladleful of the stew, and before he could do anything about it, she shoved the whole thing into her mouth. She instantly spat it out and began coughing. _It's terrible! _She wailed silently, tears coming to her eyes at both her failure and the abhorrent taste. Having lost, Sanji sighed and set the pot down onto the coffee table, while Nami just clung helplessly onto his back. She buried her face into his neck, sniffling.

"Nami…?" he murmured softly.

"I just wanted to make a good dinner for you…" she sniffed miserably. "I can't even do that… I'm a failure as a wife." Sanji exhaled deeply and walked over to the couch, setting her down before crouching down in front of her. She avoided his gaze, staring miserably at her lap.

"Nami. Look at me," he commanded, and when she would not obey, he put a finger under her chin to lift her face. Her teary eyes met his, and she found them to be a mixture of amusement and love. "Do you really think I gauge your mettle as a wife on your cooking?" he chuckled.

"No…" she mumbled in defeat, her shoulders slumping. He reached up to put his hands on her upper arrms.

"No," he confirmed. "So what if you can't cook? That's what I do for you. There are plenty of other things you do for me," he told her gently.

"Like what?" she snapped. She was slightly irritated at making such a fool of herself, and damn it, she hated when he was right. He didn't get angry at her, though; he just laughed.

"Well, you always eat all my cooking. That makes me, as a chef, happy," he began.

"That's really not helping," she huffed, but he raised one of his hands to place a finger over her lips.

"I wasn't finished. You always set my clothes out for me in the morning," he continued. _That's true. I get up earlier than he does. Sanji loves to sleep; if I didn't set out his clothes, he would be late all the time… _His list didn't end there, though. "You do all the shopping, too, and you're always so careful to make sure that you buy the right things."

"Well… I wouldn't want you to have to cancel a meal because you didn't have the right stuff…" she admitted warily, rubbing her hands together nervously.

"That's right, and a lot of times you always buy extra things for me," he nodded. She smiled lightly. _I just can't help it. I'll be walking through the aisles and I'll see something that he might like, and I just can't help but get it because I know he'll be happy! _"You always make sure the kitchen is so clean, too." Sanji hated a dirty kitchen; she knew that, and so she tried to keep it tidy and clean for him every day. _Am I really so useful? _She thought, feeling her self-doubt fading little by little.

"Those are all things you can do, though," she protested with a frown. Sanji smiled lovingly and poked her nose.

"True. But there's something you do that only _you _can do," he smiled. Something about that smile, so gentle and full of love, made her heart race. "Nami, you are always here waiting for me. You get me through the roughest of days, because I know when I come home, you'll welcome me with open arms." Nami blinked, then blushed and shifted shyly on the couch.

"Yeah… That's true…" she admitted quietly.

"Please, don't ever doubt yourself. You're my wife, and you're the best wife I could ever have. I wouldn't want anyone else," he smiled as he gently stroked her hair.

"Even one that could cook?" she asked.

"Even one that could cook," he nodded, and then he leaned forward to kiss her softly on the mouth. Nami closed her eyes, accepting his love like he accepted her. _I don't have to worry about anything, _she thought blissfully. _Sanji loves me, no matter what. I'll do things for him that only I can do… I'll make him the happiest man alive. _


	4. The Man I Know and Love

Category: Romantic Fluff

Characters: Sanji and Nami

Requested by: farrah87 (Ao3)

Nami lingered in the spacious bathroom after the other girls had left, sitting at a mirror brushing her long, tangerine-orange hair. As she rhythmically drew the brush through the luscious waves, her body moved robotically; in truth, she was not sitting there for the sake of her own vanity. Her heart was troubled, trying to piece itself together after the heartbreak she had experienced when Luffy had attempted to retrieve Sanji from the carriage of the Germa 66. Sighing deeply, she set down the hand brush and looked down at the tiled floor, still covered in bathwater and soap bubbles.

_He looked so terrifying, _she thought with a shudder as she recalled the expression of pure rage that had distorted the face of the man she held dear to her heart, the man who had so many times before fought alongside her and the rest of the Straw Hat crew, and had sworn his undying love to her time and time again. A wry smile formed on her lips. "Not that he ever means it," she mumbled as she rose from the small stool to begin pulling on her clothes. Though she told herself that, she could not hide the fact that after all this time, he had somehow worked his way into her heart, slipping past what she once thought was an impenetrable wall.

After getting dressed, she exited the bathroom and proceeded down the hallway of the spacious manor-slash-fortress. The meeting with Bege, the formidable pirate who had stolen Sanji right from under them and major figure in Big Mom's crew who was now supposedly allying with them to take the psychotic woman down, was within the next thirty minutes. She walked purposefully down the hall, but as she turned the corner, her steps faltered and her breath caught in her throat. There, standing a few yards away, was the man they had all be fighting so desperately to recover from the clutches of Big Mom.

"Sanji," she breathed, almost reflexively. At the sound of her voice, the blonde-haired man lifted his head to glance over his shoulder. His eyes lit up with childlike happiness when he noticed it was her.

"Nami~" he cried blissfully, but for once Nami stayed where she was, gazing at him with apprehension. Though Luffy had explained the situation fully, there was still some part of her that could not forget the outrage of his expression, the harshness of his words as he savagely beat Luffy right in front of her own eyes. _And then there's __**her**__, _she thought, feeling like a dagger pierced through her heart as the image of the cute, seemingly innocent Pudding flashed into her mind. Though Sanji now know her true intentions, did it matter? He had a weakness for beautiful women, and there was no questioning the girl's appeal- when it came down to it, would he choose her regardless of the danger? Would he freeze? She bit down on her bottom lip as Sanji's expression gradually phased from elated to perplexed. "Nami? What is it?" he asked.

"I told you that I hadn't forgiven you yet, and that I put it on hold for the sake of getting out of here," she told him with more sharpness in her voice than she had intended. Sanji flinched visibly at the harshness of her tone, and he cast his gaze guiltily to the floor. Nami's emotions were now bubbling on the surface, and she could contain them no longer. She balled up her fists as her hands began to shake violently. "You beat Luffy to a bloody mess. He went through hell trying to get you out, you know that?" she snapped at him. "All of us did! And you have the gall to say those things to us?" she cried angrily. As she stood there, quivering, she was astonished to find tears pouring down her cheeks. "I was so afraid, Sanji. I was afraid we would lose you forever… But I was more afraid that you really thought those terrible things about us… Part of me still is…" she whimpered, reaching up to angrily wipe away the tears, but they flowed freely despite her attempts to cease them. Sanji just stared down at the ground, his shoulders hunched with guilt. Nami continued to cry for a few minutes before he worked up the courage to venture closer, stopping right in front of her. Half-angry and half-sad, she just puffed out her cheeks in defiance as he gazed down at her with a complex expression.

"I'm not going to say that I did it the right way," he sighed deeply, avoiding meeting her eyes. "They put me between a rock and a hard place. They threatened the Baratie, and they threatened all of you, and I just couldn't handle the pressure of having all that blood on my hands if I messed up." He looked down at his hands miserably. "They even threatened to blow off my hands if I tried to escape… Everywhere I looked, I was cornered, and I thought that the only way out, the only way to keep everyone safe, was to just go along with it." He closed his eyes as he heaved a deep sigh. "Of course, that was before I knew Pudding was a murderous psychopath."

Nami stiffened at the mention of the girl's name, and she saw the brief smile that formed on Sanji's face as he recalled the beautiful woman.

"What if she wasn't?" she asked quietly, and he raised his eyebrows at her. "Sanji… If Luffy had decided to make the deal with Bege still, and Pudding was innocent in all of this…" She trailed off, her bottom lip beginning to quiver at the fear of what he would say in response to her. "Would you have abandoned us?" she finished with a small whisper. Sanji remained silent for a long time before she felt him gently cup her chin in his hand to lift up her face. Normally, she would shun such actions and cast them aside as playful gestures, but when her eyes met his she became frozen with the intensity of feeling that burned within his eyes.

"Of course I wouldn't," he told her firmly, his eyebrows narrowing as he regarded her intently. "My home is the Thousand Sunny, and my family is the Straw Hats." His expression softened as he smiled down at her, and she shuddered slightly as she felt his hand slide from below her chin to gently rest against her cheek, his fingertips gently brushing her lingering tears away. "And most importantly, the only woman that can ever really have my heart is you, Nami," he purred. Nami's heart skipped a beat. This time, it felt real, like he was truly professing his feelings to her.

"Do you mean that?" she asked him quietly, reflexively leaning into the hand that was caressing her.

"Every word of it," he nodded with a smile. Nami felt the warm feeling of happiness bubbling up inside her as she stared up at him in relief. _I had nothing to worry about after all… He's still the Sanji I know and love, _she thought as a smile spread over her lips. As she remained absorbed by her flooding emotions, she did not notice that Sanji's face had drawn close until their lips were centimeters apart.

"San-" she began to protest, but could not finish as his lips enclosed her own in a passionate kiss. Nami's chest tightened as her breath was stolen by the heat of their lips moving against hers, and her body tensed up before relaxing as she melted under the intensity of the love she felt radiating from the small action. They lingered there in the hallway for only a few precious moments, but in those seconds Nami felt as if more words passed between the two of them than they had ever shared in all the time they had known one another. She felt loneliness pervade her as he pulled back, and she fought the urge to reach out and pull him in for another. He smirked down at her, pleased with himself, and then promptly turned on his heel, his cape fluttering as he began walking briskly over the tiled floor. Nami was left breathless with her heart pounding and her lips still tingling with the feeling of Sanji's kiss.

"Come on," he laughed back at her. "We wouldn't want to be late to the tea party, now would we?" Nami blinked as reality slowly returned to her, and she stamped her feet angrily before she marched after him.

"Sanji! You hopeless flirt!" she huffed, and his laughter echoed off the stone walls, mingling with the furious clicking of her shoes. Still, even as she seethed with annoyance, her heart still fluttered like she was floating on air.

She knew now that the man before her was indeed the man she had fallen in love with, and that was enough.


	5. Truth or Dare

Category: Romantic Fluff

Characters: Sanji and Nami

Requested By: Snow3bunny (Ao3)

"What are you idiots doing?" Nami sighed and shook her head as she leaned against the wooden railing overlooking the main deck of the Thousand Sunny, where the entirety of the crew was currently sitting down in a circle around an empty rum bottle most likely consumed by Zoro earlier in the day. She had been in her navigator's study examining their current course to determine the safest and fastest course to Fishman Island, their current destination. It was the Thousand Sunny's maiden voyage, and a lot could go wrong with a ship you did not know well; the other members of the crew, however, did not seem to share this sentiment, as it was their raucous laughter that had pulled her from her calculations and caused her to migrate out of the interior of the ship to investigate the source of their merriment. "Whatever it is, can you keep it down? I'm trying to make sure we reach Fishman Island, thank you very much," she huffed as she crossed her arms and regarded the strange display with distaste.

"Nami!" Luffy shouted excitedly as his navigator lightly reprimanded them. "We're playing spin-the-bottle! Come join us!" he insisted as he bounced up and down excitedly while pointing at the empty rim bottle lying on its side. Nami's eyebrow crept up at the mention of the game, which was all but foreign to her.

"Spin-the-bottle?" she echoed and walked down the steps to the main deck of the ship, admittedly curious about the strange game.

"Yeah!" Chopper squealed with his tiny reindeer hooves in the air. "Sanji showed it to us. He says they used to play it on his cooking ship all the time!" he explained while giving the cook a big smile.

"This doesn't involve taking off my clothes, does it?" Nami snorted as she stopped short of the group situated in a circle, crossing her arms as she glared doubtfully at the blonde, lascivious cook.

"Of course not! I am a man of class," Sanji pouted as his shoulders slumped. _Yeah, you've got class, all right. You're a 'class'ic pervert! _She thought with a huff, but a playful smile was forming on her lips.

"All right, then. What does this game involve?" she inquired as she gestured for them to make room for her in the circle. She squeezed her way in between Luffy and Zoro, tucking her legs beneath her as she regarded the seemingly unassuming bottle. _There doesn't seem to be anything special about it. _

"It's quite simple," Robin mused and gestured lazily to the rum bottle. "A person spins the bottle, and whomever it lands on is given the option of 'truth' or 'dare.' Truth involves responding honestly to a question, while dare means completing a task. Both are decided by the person who spun the bottle. We each take turns," she explained matter-of-factly. Nami nodded in understanding, leaning back slightly as she held her feet with her hands.

"Okay, I get it. Let's get on with it, then!" she beamed, suddenly excited. Who doesn't love the idea of making someone reveal their innermost secrets or making them do ridiculous things? Sticking out her tongue slightly, she reached forward and gave the bottle a whirl. It made a humming sound as the air moved over the opening, and it slowly came to a stop with the open end pointing at Usopp. _Perfect! I can date Usopp to do something fun! Or make him tell me something embarrassing! _She thought devilishly as she rubbed her hands together. "All right, Usopp! Truth or dare?" she demanded.

"I'm gonna go with truth. Your ideas of a dare frighten me," the spineless sniper whimpered immediately, and admittedly, Nami was slightly disappointed.

"All right, then," she sighed and cocked her head to the side slightly as she tried to formulate a good question to make Usopp squirm. A mischievous smile wormed its way onto her lips, and she heard Usopp swallow anxiously. "Okay, Usopp. At what age did you stop wetting the bed?" she asked, and the sniper immediately turned red all the way up to his ears. At his mortified reaction, the circle of pirates immediately burst into raucous laughter.

"Come on, Usopp, answer the question!" Luffy guffawed, grinning eagerly.

"I never wet the bed! I am a brave warrior of the sea!" Usopp insisted haughtily, but covered bashfully when another round of laughter broke out among the group.

"Be honest!" Franky grinned and nudged him with a large metal elbow, and Usopp squeaked as it dug slightly into his ribs.

"O-okay… I was twelve," Usopp mumbled as he hung his head in shame, and they all exploded into giggles.

"Twelve? No way!" Luffy cackled as he rolled onto his back holding his stomach and kicking his legs as laughter wracked his rubbery body.

"I knew you were a coward, Usopp, but I didn't know you were a baby, too!" Zoro scoffed playfully. Usopp snorted defiantly and crossed his arms with a huff.

"Laugh all you want! I'm going to show all of you!" he said primly as he turned his long nose up into the air. After the giggles settled down, it was Zoro's turn to spin, and he did so readily. The glass rattled against the wooden surface of the boat before coming to rest on Luffy, who naturally chose a dare.

"Okay. I dare you to climb the mast… But upside-down," Zoro grinned stupidly and gestured to the mast with a thumb.

"Piece of cake!" Luffy grinned assertively and promptly hopped to his feet to run over to the tall wooden structure. With a grunt, he ducked down to position himself in a hand-stand.

"And no using your Devil Fruit powers!" Sanji laughed as an afterthought.

"Please! I'm no cheat!" Luffy growled at them before hopping up onto the mast and wrapping his arms and legs around the massive wooden post. Grunting with effort, he began to slowly ascend the mast in a strange shimmy-like motion. He made it about halfway up before he lost his grip and came tumbling down, landing roughly at the bottom of the post. "Owwww… My head…" he whined as he rubbed it tenderly, while the rest of the group cackled with laughter.

"You okay, Luffy?" Chopper cried as he hopped to his feet. "Someone get the doctor! Wait! I am the doctor!" he wailed as he ran around in circles in a panic. Meanwhile, Luffy was sitting up, seemingly unharmed.

"Ugh… That's a lot harder than it looks," he whined as he glanced up the post with a squint. "All right! Who's turn is it?" he asked as he scooted on his behind back into the circle eagerly.

"Looks like it's Robin," Zoro answered. With a small smile, the quiet archaeologist reached forward and gave the bottle a spin. Nami's eyes widened as the mouth of the bottle came to rest pointing directly at her, and she suddenly grew nervous as to what Robin would do in either situation. _Truth is a safer option, probably, _she decided.

"Well? Truth or dare, Nami?" Robin asked calmly.

"Truth! Ask me anything! I'm an open book," Nami boasted, but the bravado was mostly to hide her anxiety. Robin chuckled and leaned back slightly on her hands as she regarded the navigator with calculating eyes.

"All right, then. Tell us about your first kiss," Robin demanded. A chorus of "ooohs" traveled through the circle, and all eyes came to land on the navigator. Suddenly, her heart was pounding violently. _Wait! Do they think I've actually done stuff like that? _She thought in a panic.

"Out with it, Namiiiii!" Luffy urged and poked at her arm with a snicker. "When was it? Who was it?" His incessant urging did little to ease her nervousness, and she swallowed nervously as she glanced down at her lap.

_Come on… It's not that big of a deal to say that I've never kissed anybody, right? _She thought as she bit down on her lower lip.

"Is it that scandalous?" Zoro mused as he rested a hand on the hilt of one of his swords. "Or maybe she's done it so many times she's having trouble remembering?" That last comment set Nami's rage aflame. _They think I'm some kind of… kind of… __**whore**__! _She realized in anger, and she balled up her fists as she began to shake violently. Tears forming in the corners of her eyes as they continued to prod at her, she abruptly jumped to her feet, head down and shoulders slumped.

"I hate this stupid game!" she shouted before whipping around and stalking up the stairs to return to her study. They all shouted at her to wait, but she ignoring them, slamming the door shut behind her before collapsing onto her bed with a miserable sob. She buried her face into her pillow. _It's so _dumb she thought bitterly. _I don't know what hurts more… The fact that not ever kissing someone is so unbearable, or the fact that they all think that I do those kinds of things frivolously, _she moped as she hugged her pillow tightly. _Is it strange that I don't? That I want to wait for someone special…? _She thought as she rolled onto her back and held an arm over her eyes as the tears flowed freely. At that thought, a certain blonde-haired cook popped into her mind, and that just made her heart constrict with pain. _Does he think… I'm like that, too? Is that why he's always making advances on me? Does he think I'm easy? _She thought as her bottom lip quivered. Considering the prevailing opinions of the crew, she thought that it must be true, and despite her best efforts her tough exterior dissolved, and she was left sobbing miserably.

She awoke to the sound of loud knocking on her door. She had fallen asleep curled up under the blankets cuddling her pillow for comfort, and the surface was still damp with tears. She sat up and rubbed her puffy eyes, and her fingers came away wet with salty water. She glanced at the door as the knocking came once more. "One minute!" she called as she threw the covers off herself and walked over to the mirror to straighten out her hair and try and erase the tear stains on her cheeks before answering the door. She cracked it slightly to try and hide her disheveled appearance. "What is it? I'm busy," he stated as she pulled the door open, but she fell silent when she realized it was Sanji standing in the doorway, his hands in his pockets and a cigarette in his mouth. She felt her chest tighten, and she dropped her gaze slightly. "Oh. It's you," she said quietly.

To his credit, he didn't comment on how upset she obviously looked, but instead smiled sweetly and extended a hand to her.

"I was wondering if you could give me some help in the kitchen?" he inquired hopefully. "You're the only one around here who can peel a potato worth a damn," he joked light-heartedly, but even though he was doing his best to act normal, she could feel the underlying tension in his tone and see the stiffness in his body. She stood in the threshold of the doorway, considering refusing his offer and crawling back into bed to mope some more. _There's no sense in brooding over something so pointless, _she thought with a small sigh and nodded before opening the door all the way.

"Okay. I can take a break," she said despite the fact that she was almost certain that Sanji knew that all she had been doing was crying. He continued to hold his hand out for her, and she blushed slightly as she reluctantly took it and allowing him to lead her further into the ship to the kitchen. As she plodded along after him, she was keenly aware of the feeling of his hand wrapped around hers. _Sanji's hand… It's so big and reassuring, _she thought dreamily, then a jolt of pain shot through her heart. _But… I'll never really get to hold his hand for real, _she thought miserably, and the gloom settled over her once more. Sanji, seemingly oblivious to her despondent mood, brought her into the kitchen, which was already filled with the smells of delicious food and the steam of many things cooking on the stove and in the oven. He released her hand as he walked over to stir something in a simmering pot, and Nami was half-disappointed and half-grateful. She sat down at the small wooden table where a bag of potatoes was already sitting ready to be peeled. She pulled over an empty pot to collect the peelings and sat down to begin working.

The silence settled between them as she peeled the potatoes and Sanji flitted from spot to spot stirring this and tasting that. However, though Nami normally enjoyed the quiet, she found Sanji's lack of talkativeness unsettling and bordering on unbearable. She _knew _he wanted to ask her something, but he was too polite to do so, and the suspense was killing her. Besides, there was her lingering fear of what he truly thought of her, and she was _dying _to know the truth. Soon she felt like she was going to burst, and to channel the nervous energy she began ripping furiously at the potatoes with the peeler. Suddenly, it slipped and carved into the side of her finger, making her screech in pain and drop the starchy vegetable, already splattered with her blood.

"Nami?!" Sanji cried in alarm in response to her yelp, and he came rushing to her aid as she held her finger. Thankfully it was only a shallow cut, but it was still bleeding profusely.

"Ow… I just cut my finger, that's all," she whimpered as he crouched down in front of her. He reached up to take her hand and pull it closer to his face to investigate, and she obediently allowed him to do so despite her blushing. He sighed lightly in relief.

"It looks a lot worse than it is. Wait here. I'll get a bandage," he instructed before riding to his feet and walking over to one of the counters to rummage around for a roll of bandages. He returned a short minute later with the bandages and a strip of cloth, which he pressed to her hand to absorb the blood. As he worked intently on her wound, Nami's heart felt like it was tightening up so much it was twisting into knots, and finally she could no longer stand the pressure.

"Sanji… Do you think I'm a…" she trailed off as she searched for a proper way to refer to whatever the rest of the crew thought her as. He glanced up at her with a small frown, then smiled coyly.

"A virgin?" he finished with a slightly smug smile, and she turned bright pink as he put it so bluntly. Her reaction affirmed his question, and he chuckled lightly under his breath as he glanced down at her hand and began to slowly wind bandages around her injured finger. "I thought that was what had you so upset," he mused quietly as he continued to work on treating her wound. Nami bit down on her lip, but that didn't stop it from quivering.

"Well? Do you?" she asked insistently. He sighed deeply and tied off the bandage, looking up at her. Her breath caught in her throat as he looked her dead in the eyes.

"Of course I do, Nami. I've always thought so," he smiled softly up at her. Nami stared at him for a minute, and then all the tension that she had been holding in her body suddenly relaxed, and she exhaled deeply before slumping back in the chair. _So he doesn't think that of me… _She thought with a relieved smile. "For the record, most of the others were only teasing. We certainly don't think you get around," he mused with a raised eyebrow, and she went slightly red in embarrassment upon realizing she had overreacted. "What made you so upset?" he asked her curiously.

"I… I've never actually kissed a man," she admitted hesitantly, looking down at her hand, which was slowly turning the bandage a slight shade of pink as the wound attempted to clot. "They all seemed to think I thought nothing of it, and it just seemed so embarrassing that I had never kissed anyone," she sighed. "And then I thought that maybe they think that they thought me as someone… _easy… _that was even worse." She glanced down at him doubtfully. "They really don't think that?"

"No," he reassured before rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Though it is surprising. I would have thought you would have kissed someone by now," he remarked.

"I-I just take things like that seriously!" she cried and balled up her fists angrily, then winced as pain shot up her arm from the burning wound on her hand. She released the fist quickly to find that the bandage was rapidly turning red, as her action had reopened the wound. "Ow…" she whined. Sanji smirked slightly before taking her hand in his gently.

"It's never going to heal like that. Here, let me give it a kiss to make it go faster," he grinned teasingly, and before she could even protest, he leaned down to gently press his lips to the bandages. She went dark red, her mouth opening and closing as she struggled to formulate words, while he just grinned triumphantly up at her. Her lips pressed together in a thin line as she glared down at him.

"Oh, you think you're smooth, do you?" she snapped.

"As a matter of fact, I pride myself in my ability to woo the ladies," he smirked playfully as she ripped her hand away from him lest its trembling give away her exhilaration. Her finger tingled slightly as the feeling of his little kiss lingered.

"Well, this is one lady you will _not _be wooing!" she huffed and looked away from him. He chuckled before suddenly standing at his full height and looking down at her thoughtfully. "What is it?" she asked nervously under his intense stare.

"Why, Nami, I think you're hurt somewhere else, too," he drowned, and she gasped as she began looking over her hand for another cut. She could not locate one, and she glanced up at him in confusion.

"Where? I don't see anything," she blinked, and her eyebrows knitted together as he gave her a slightly alluring smirk. _Now, what is he up to…? _

"That's because you aren't looking in the right place," he purred as he leaned down over her, and her heart began to race as his face began dangerously close. "It's right… here," he murmured as her gently brushed his fingertips over her bottom lip, and she realized that she had bit down so hard on her lip earlier that she had actually drawn blood. Her mind went blank as his eyes gazed intently into her own with a passionate fire blazing in their dark depths that she had never seen. "I should kiss that to make it better, too," he smiled coyly, and she sat still as stone as he closed the distance between them to gently press his lips against her own. At first her mind raced with incoherent thoughts before slowly settling on him, the contours of his face and the highlights of his hair, and her body slowly relaxed as she melted into the kiss. His lips lingered for a while before slowly drawing away, and as he pulled back, Nami almost felt like a part of her was leaving. She soon came to her senses, however, and let out an affronted gasp.

"Sanji! You scoundrel!" she shrieked as she grabbed a handful of the potato skins and threw them into his face. The flirtatious cook just laughed heartily as he pulled the skins out of his hair.

"Didn't take long for you to get back to normal," he mused as he dropped the potato skins back into the bucket, and she looked up at him through narrowed eyes. _He did all that to make me feel better? _She realized, and despite her embarrassment, she smiled. _This guy… _He continued to chuckle as he brushed potato skins off his broad shoulders. "I invite you into my kitchen, and you make it a mess. What am I going to do with you, Nami?" he mused. She threateningly picked up the bucket.

"Well, then, don't be such a tease!" she shouted at him, and he laughed again before waving a hand and retreating to the safety of the stove.

"I never tease," he called over to her. "Now finish those potatoes before Luffy starts whining about how hungry he is," he instructed with a wink. Nami stuck out her tongue at him, but as she set down the bucket and returned to work, she couldn't ignore the bubbly, happy feeling floating around in her chest, and the lingering feeling of Sanji's kiss.

Her first kiss.

But that was going to be a secret, for now…


	6. She's Not You

Category: Romantic Fluff

Characters: Nami and Sanji

Requested by: Ella (Ao3)

As she clutched onto Jinbe's back while they raced through Big Mom's fortress in a desperate effort to escape, Nami again lamented the fact that Luffy had taken off without warning. Honestly, she had begun to expect it at this point, as her captain was incorrigibly reckless and irreparably stubborn, but that did not ease the strain on Nami's nerves. Still, she had better things to worry about that the whereabouts of her captain- like the fact that her life was in imminent danger. She screamed as a javelin sailed over her head, so close that it sheared through a few strands of her tangerine-colored hair before colliding roughly with the stone wall.

"Jinbe! We've got company!" she screamed as she glanced over her shoulder to find a squadron of armed guards chasing them down the hallway. Before the large fish-man could respond, suddenly the entire world heaved and the air became alive with light and deafening sound. Nami shrieked as she lost her grip on Jinbe's back and sailed through the air, landing roughly on her rump several yards away. She groaned and tenderly rubbed her behind, already feeling the bruises beginning to form. However, she did not have time to nurse her wounds. As she peered through the settling dust, she could hear the guards shouting at each other just over the sound of her ringing ears. Apparently, a stray cannonball had blasted through the fortress wall and disrupted the pursuit, and that had caused the explosion.

"Find them!" one shouted, and Nami's heart began to pound as she heard the furious shuffling of feet heading rapidly in her direction. She scrambled to her feet and took off in haste, unable to locate her companion; shouting his name would reveal her position, and so she was forced to flee in an attempt to hide. Running was no longer her desired tactic, but unlike a majority of her companions, she knew better than to try to take on an entire castle. Her heart jumping into her throat, she raced down the stone hallway as fast as her feet could take her.

"She must have gone this way! Split up! Search every room!" commanded another one of the soldiers just as Nami turned the corner and wrenched a door open. She ducked inside and latched the door, then pulled a heavy chair in front of it for good measure. Thankfully, she had chosen a room that was unoccupied- a bedroom, complete with a canopy bed and a nice vanity and a walk-in closet. Too bad she didn't have the luxury of time to enjoy it. She clamped her hands over her mouth to contain the frightened squeak that threatened to slip out as someone began banging violently on the door.

"This is the palace guard! Open up!" the soldier shouted as he jiggled the doorknob. Nami realized that her only option would be to somehow talk her way out of it, so she swallowed nervously to steel her resolve before crying out in fright.

"You can't fool me! You're one of those Straw Hats!" she wailed, keeping her distance from the door to make it sound as if she was cowering on the other side of the room. "I won't let you in! You lawless rogues!"

"Ma'am, we are the palace guard pursuing one of the Straw Hat pirates. Please open the door so that we may search your room and make sure no one is hiding there," came the exasperated reply.

"No!" Nami shrieked in response and pulled off one of her shoes to throw it at the door, making the soldier beyond cry out. "I am no fool! You had better get out of here right now before I call Mama! She'll stomp you all flat!" she shouted, and that threat seemed to spook the soldier. He spluttered some apologies before hurrying on his way, and after a brief period of silence, she breathed a deep sigh of relief. "Phew. It looks like I'm safe, for now." But how was she supposed to find Jinbe? As she pondered the dilemma, she jumped when the door abruptly shook violently.

"In here!" came the same voice from earlier. Apparently suspicious, the guard had returned with reinforcements. The door lurched again, and the large chair jerked forward under the pressure. With seconds to act, Nami had no choice but to dive into the large closet. She pulled the doors shut just as the door splintered and the chair flew across the room, slamming into the wall and causing dust to rain down on top of her as she buried herself in the lavish dresses and shoes the closet contained. She held her hand over her mouth as she attempted to keep her breathing quiet, listening to the guards search the room outside. The thumping sounds grew dreadfully closer, and Nami pressed against the back wall, hoping that the thick clothing would be enough to shield her from the unwelcome eyes. She managed to keep from jumping as the door to the closet lurched open.

"She has to be in here somewhere!" a voice growled in the entryway of the closet. Through the gap in a pair of ball gowns, Nami could see a massive individual standing there, blocking out all the light from the bedroom. He was holding a savage-looking battle axe and wearing a scowl. Terrified that her rapidly beating heart would reveal her presence, she just stood frozen in the back of the closet while the knight squeezed his bulk into the closet and began pushing his weapon through the closet in an attempt to locate anyone who could be hiding there. Nami's eyes went wide as the blade brushed against her side just enough to slice slightly through her shirt. Thankfully, the knight did not detect her and continued prodding around before grunting and looking over his shoulder. "The closet is clear! She must have slipped out one of the windows!" he called to his comrades gruffly before shoving himself back out the exit. Not breathing, Nami continued to stand silently, hidden amongst the clothes, while she listened.

A long period of silence passed before she allowed herself to finally release the breath she had been holding. Her arms fell to her side, and she realized that her knees had begun to shake violently out of fear.

"That was too close," she whispered.

"Close indeed," growled a voice, and Nari squeaked as the point of a spear embedded itself into the wall beside her, tearing through the ball gown beside her and sending fabric fluttering to the floor. She was now exposed. Hidden in the shadows of the closet entryway stood a small knight. "I knew you were in here. You can't hide from me," he cackled, and Nami cried out in protest as he jumped forward to grab her by her hair and jerk her roughly out of the closet. Tears stinging her eyes, she gritted her teeth as he shoved her to the ground and placed the point of the spear to her throat. "You Straw Hat scum. Big Mom said we can't kill you, but surely if your death is an accident, it shouldn't matter, right? After all, it's Straw Hat Luffy that she really wants."

Nami just glared up at him, shaking in frustration. She had lost her Climatact and was essentially defenseless. _Why does it always end up this way? _She thought as tears began to roll down her cheeks and she dug her fingers into the lush fibers of the rug she was kneeling on. She was desperately wracking her brain for some way to fight back or escape, but he was standing between her in the exit, and any move she made would result with a spear through her neck. "Aw, are you crying? You pathetic girl. Don't worry. I'll give you a swift end, okay?" he crooned cruelly.

"How about I give _you _a swift end?" a familiar voice jeered suddenly, and before the soldier could react, a booted foot slammed savagely into the side of his head with such force that he went flying across the room and crashed through the glass window, plummeting out of side. Nari gulped as the spear tip barely nicked her throat, and she trembled as she felt the blood running down her neck, a testament to how close she had come to death. "Asshole," sighed her rescuer, and Nami slowly lifted her gaze to see none other than the man they had been searching so desperately for.

"S-sanji," she stammered dumbly. The blonde-haired cook sniffed in disdain at the shattered window before crouching down in front of her with a broad smile.

"Looks like I got here just in time!" he grinned, as if he had not abandoned them and ridiculed them earlier, as if nothing had happened at all and it was just like before. "Are you okay, my dear Nami?" he asked as he raised a hand to inspect the cut on her neck. Anger flared inside of her, wrenching her out of her startled state, and she slapped his hand away.

"I am just fine, _Prince _Sanji," she snapped at him. Who did he think he was, parading in to her rescue and smiling like that like nothing had ever happened? He had beaten Luffy to a pulp and said such cruel things to them, which Nami could not easily forgive, regardless of her strong desire to. With a huff, she stood up and stalked across the room to peer out of the destroyed room into the hallway. There seemed to be no one around, for now, at least. The door was splintered beyond repair, so she could not close it, so she headed across the hallway into an undamaged room and went to close the door.

"Wait, Nami!" Sanji cried, slamming his hand against the heavy wooden door to keep it from closing. She glared up at him, pooling as much contempt into her gaze as she could.

"What are you doing? I don't need your help, _Prince _Sanji," she spat acidly and went to push the door closed, but even though she was pressing her entire weight against it, he was definitely stronger than her. He shouldered his way into the room so that Nami fell against the door as his weight suddenly vanished, and she shot him another glare before latching the door shut and stomping away from him.

"Nami, come on. It's not like I wanted to say those things," he protested as she began looking around the room, pretending to be interested in the decór. That comment set her teeth to grinding. "Nami, my family was holding the Baratie hostage. If I made any indication that I was going to go against the plan, they would have been dead, just like that," he sighed and snapped his fingers. "Now, it's different. My marriage to Pudding is a sham. They were planning to kill me all along, so there is nothing holding me to it. Then, I just said those things because I had to," he insisted. Unable to contain her rage, she began to shake, and despite her desire to simply ignore him, she whirled on him angrily.

"Because you _had _to?" she shrieked at him. "Look, I know all about the whole plot Big Mom has going and your little family conflict, so don't try and make that excuse. You could have covered your ass without beating up Luffy and saying those awful things!" she snapped at him and turned her back to him so that he wouldn't see her begin to cry. The truth was, she didn't even want to be mad at him. She was so overjoyed to see him safe and alive, and more importantly aware of the dire danger he was in. Still, she was stubborn, and was going to make it clear that she was most displeased with him. "You said that we meant nothing to you," she whispered, unable to keep the sob from slipping out. "I thought you abandoned us…" she murmured, and despite herself, a glimmer of her true feelings shone through. "I-I thought you abandoned me for Pudding."

Nami couldn't deny that she felt _something _for him. After all, how could she not after all this time? Of course, she had never told him anything of the sort, half because she could never find the right time and half because she was afraid of his flirtatious nature. He was always projecting his affections on her, but there was no denying he was a skirt-chasing fool. That was enough to hold her back, and enough to make her fear that the charming Emperor's daughter was wily and beautiful enough to steal the man's heart right out of her hands. As she sniffled and wiped her eyes with the backs of her hands, she gasped slightly when Sanji suddenly hugged her from behind.

"Oh, Nami. You've got some wild thoughts in that pretty head of yours," he smiled in her ear, and she tried to keep a defiant look on her face as her heart fluttered. "Pudding? Sure, she's something to look at, but you wanna know something?" he whispered, and the feeling of his lips against her ear sent a shiver up her spine. "She's not you."

"You're just saying that," she choked out, puffing out her cheeks. Still, she did not break free of the hug, but grabbed onto the arms wrapped around her middle. Part of her didn't want him to ever let go.

"No, I mean it," he purred, then sighed deeply to lean his head against hers. "I'm sorry… I made you cry," he said sorrowfully. "I was just trying to look out for everyone, but I suppose I didn't go about the right way of doing it… I was just backed into a corner. I didn't see any way out but marrying Pudding to keep everyone safe. I even went so far to act so cruelly to you and Luffy when all you were trying to do was save me," he frowned. He squeezed her tightly. "I'm so sorry, Nami," he murmured. At his blatant apology, the last bit of defiant anger left inside of her melted away.

"I forgive you, you stupid fool," she sighed deeply and lifted a hand to lightly punch him in the side of the head. "You had just better not do anything so stupid again. I mean it," she told him firmly, making him laugh. She found a smile forming on her face. She really did like his laugh.

"I promise. I'll never make you cry again," he swore solemnly, and then did something she did not expect. In a bold move, he grabbed her by the chin and turned her face to kiss her full on the lips. Nami's face felt like it ignited in a fierce fire, but she found that she could not pull away. As he angled his head and kissed her deeply, her eyes fluttered closed and she felt herself grow weak. All she could think about in those precious moments was him, how much she _loved _him, so much that it hurt. When he broke away, she actually felt sad. "Still think I feel anything for anyone but you?" he asked with a smug smile, but as she gazed up into his eyes, she found her love matched.

"No," she blushed, smiling bashfully. _Ugh. The things this man does to me, _she thought in mild shame and tried to sort out her muddled mind. As he went in for another kiss, she gasped and clapped her hand over his mouth. "Luffy!"

"What about him?" he muttered, his voice muffled by her hand. He was obviously irritated that he had been interrupted.

"He's waiting for you, of course!" she snapped and pulled her hand back and stomped back to the door to unlatch the lock and wrench it open. In her anger at Sanji, she had completely forgotten about the feverish chase after their captain. Jinbe had likely headed on without her. As much as she would like to continue on with her tender moment with Sanji, there were more important matters at hand. "We have to go now! He could starve to death waiting for you!" she cried as she glanced back at him. "Of course, there's an entire army between us and him."

"Let them come. I'll send them flying," he grinned as he kicked at the air emphatically before walking over to her side and looping his arm and hers. "Shall we, Nami, dear?" he asked goofily.

"Sure, _Prince _Sanji," she responding, but her tone was not one of hostility anymore, but teasing. His face scrunched up in distaste.

"Please don't call me that," he whined as he pulled her out of the doorway, but she just giggled in response.

"Oh, but you still deserve _some _punishment for the way you acted. Maybe a year or two," she joked, and received a loud groan of despair in response.

_Sanji… I'm glad you're back, _she thought happily as they rushed down the hallway, speeding to their waiting captain and a likely battle ahead. Still, with Sanji by her side, she finally had hope for the future again. _No matter what, I won't let him go again. Big Mom can come at me with her entire army, if she wants, but this time, I'll fight with everything I have. _

_Because he chose __**me.**_


	7. The Man I Know and Love Part II

Category: Romantic Fluff

Characters: Sanji and Nami

Requested By: YonaWon (Ao3)

Nami stood in one of the expansive suite rooms that made up the large bulk of Bege's Devil Fruit castle fortress, her hands resting on the stone windowsill as she stared out of the towering glass window. Outside, the sky was a brilliant blue, with a few fluffy white clouds trailing idly by. To any normal person, watching the little fluffy ships sail across the calm blue expanse of sea above would probably provide some measure of peace, or relief; Nami just found it painfully ironic. The serene sky gave no hint of the coming storm.

During the meeting with Bege, they plotted the downfall of the relentless and ruthless Big Mom. It was a rather straightforward plan: the sham wedding would proceed, and at the instant that Pudding was to deliver Sanji a swift end, the attack plan would commence and hopefully they could dispatch Big Mom before she ever realized what was happening. It was a dangerous, risky plan for sure, all hinging on Sanji's ability to keep his cool during the wedding and good old-fashioned timing.

The entire idea of it made Nami sick to her stomach.

She glanced over her shoulder as she heard the vaulted wooden door open. She bit down on her lip as she felt her heart constrict in pain, but she quickly erased any evidence of emotion from her expression as Sanji closed the door behind him and looked up at her with that wide, goofy smile of his. _Is he not worried? _She thought as she turned her head and resumed gazing out of the window, struggling to contain her pervading sadness.

"Nami? You're not still mad at me, are you?" the cook asked with a wan sigh, but Nami shook her head in answer. The anger had dissipated after their passionate kiss in the hallway prior to the meeting with their new ally. She heard him mumble in confusion before his footsteps softly approached, but she cast her eyes to the stonework on the windowsill, inspecting the chips in in the stone and its coloration in an effort to keep from falling completely apart. _Why is the world so cruel? _A breath caught in her throat as he gently rested a hand on her elbow. "Nami. Look at me," he said firmly, but as he turned her body she turned her head, refusing to look at him.

She couldn't bear to. They had gone through so much, sacrificed so much, to get this man back, and as soon as everything had _finally _become right again and Sanji had even _kissed _her, she had to watch him walk towards probable death? She had to watch him stand at the altar with that _other _woman, who desired nothing more than to murder him in cold blood? No. She could not. Despite her best efforts to hide them, the tears began to spill from her eyes. She thought she had cried enough earlier, but apparently she still had plenty to shed. "_Nami," _Sanji insisted, his voice greatly pained. "Why won't you look at me?"

"I can't watch you go," she admitted with a small voice thick with emotion. "What if something goes wrong, Sanji?" she whispered frightfully. The murder plot had terrified her before, but knowing that Sanji was still walking straight into it was even worse. She felt his hand shift from her elbow to underneath her chin, and this time she allowed him to make her look at him. With a gentle touch, he turned her face to look at him. He was frowning deeply down at her.

"Nami. Nothing will go wrong," he murmured. The confidence in his tone did little to quell her fears. "Do you really think I will allow Pudding to murder me?" At the mention of the treacherous girl's name, a flutter of doubt burned in Nami's belly. The feeling of Sanji's kiss resurfaced on her lips, but now that she had had time to think clearly, had that really meant as much as she thought it had? After all, he has simply turned and walked away with that nonchalant air about him, as if kissing her was as natural as any other action. Had the intense passion and love she had felt really been reciprocated? Or was the affection one-sided after all? The doubt must have made its way onto his face, because frown lines etched their way further in Sanji's own. "You still don't trust me," he remarked, the disappointment clear in his tone. Guilt flashed through her, but she could not bring herself to deny it.

"I can't help it, Sanji," she sniffed as she reached up and wiped at her eyes with the backs of her hands. How was it this man could reduce her to _this, _a sobbing, blubbering mess? _He makes me so weak. _"After all, she's so beautiful… So charming… It's just so hard to believe. It's no secret that you're fond of pretty women. How can I believe it when you tell me I'm the only one, when you do the things you do and say the things you say? How can I believe that when you're standing in front of her in that wedding dress, looking into her eyes supposedly _pretending _to love her, that you won't have doubts?" she asked him miserably. His face contorted with guilt, indicating that her harsh words had indeed struck a nerve.

"I suppose being a hopeless flirt is not helping my situation here," he groaned and ran a hand through his hair with an uncomfortable frown, looking up at the ceiling as he searched for the words to appease the emotional female. He glanced back down at her, and though she was upset, the way he smiled softly at her still made her heart grow wings and flutter hopelessly. "It's true. Pudding's beautiful," he admitted, and as her lips grew taut with displeasure, he hastily added, "but I don't care. I told you once, there is only one woman who holds my heart, and that is you." His hand rose to her cheek, caressing it softly. When she remained unconvinced, he smirked. "Fine. If I can't tell you, then I'll show you," he mused, and she gasped as he grabbed her chin firmly and jerked her face forward to pull her into a kiss.

The first kiss was nothing compared to this one. This time, there was no doubt left in her mind. As their lips moved in a rhythm, her heartbeat joined in, pounding furiously in her chest as the passion bubbled inside of her. Sanji's hand migrated to the back of her head, gently cupping it as he angled his head, while the other slid to the small of her back to pull their bodies together. Nami placed her hands on his chest, and she could feel his heartbeat too, thumping almost as fast as hers. Words unspoken passed between them like a raging current, and she knew then that everything he had said had been true. _I'll never doubt again, _she thought as her heart swelled with love for the dashing cook, and she found the strength to kiss him back with all the love and passion burning inside of her. Nami wasn't sure how much time passed, but when they finally broke apart, they were breathless. Sanji's mouth curled into a smug smirk. "Believe me now?"

"Yes," she sighed and slid her hands up his chest to wrap her arms loosely around his neck. "I want to hear you say it," she added as an afterthought, referring to the thing left unsaid. She stared up into his eyes through her lashes, a faint blush tainting her cheeks. "Just so there's no doubt at all." Sanji laughed heartily before leaning down to press his forehead against hers, smiling lovingly. Their lips were inches apart, and Nami had to squash the urge to kiss him once more.

"Fine. I love you, Nami," he murmured. His voice was a soft purr, alluring and sensual, and it set Nami's heart to fluttering again. "Even when I'm standing there, at that altar, with Pudding in front of me, it won't be any less true."

"It better be," she sniffed, her usual defiance finally beginning to return. "Else you'll be on the receiving end of some hurt." Sanji laughed at that, and angled his head to softly press his lips to hers once more. Though it was short, Nami savored the taste and the feeling, and grew sad when he pulled away.

"I have to go," he whispered with a tiny smile, but his voice betrayed a hint of sadness. It seemed he didn't want to go as much as Nami lamented him leaving.

"I love you," she whispered and closed her eyes as she hugged him tightly. Sanji hugged her back, sighing gently as he rested his chin on top of her head.

"Don't act like this is goodbye," he frowned and rubbed her back gently. "You'll see. I'll come out of all this safe and sound," he reassured her before pulling back and resting his hands on her shoulders. Again, he had that tone of confidence, and this time she willed herself to believe in him. _Sanji will come back to me. At the end of all this, everything will be right again… We'll sail to meet Zoro and the others and will be one step closer to the end of our journey. _She returned his smile, reluctantly letting him go.

"Okay. Go give them a performance they'll never forget," she told him and lightly punched him in the shoulder. He smirked at her and gave her one last peck on the cheek before turning on his heel and striding across the room, all business as he prepared for the showdown that would define if they all lived, or perished at the hands of the murderous Emperor. Nami watched with mixed feelings as the man she knew and loved exited the room, and a hand rose to her heart as it cringed with pain.

_I'll believe in all of us, _she told herself firmly. _We've always managed to triumph no matter how high the odds were stacked against us. _

_I'll believe… in Sanji… _


	8. The Epiphany

Category: Romantic Fluff

Characters: Monkey D. Luffy and Boa Hancock

Requested by: killercroc (FanFiction)

Luffy breathed in deeply as he sat on the massive bulkhead of his sheep, savoring the salty spray of the sea. He then snickered, howling the to the wind as he threw his arms wide.

"I'm the King of the Pirates!" he shrieked in delight, banging his feet against the ship. Though it had been quite some time since he had, at long last, acquired the title, it still made him positively giddy. It had taken a long time, and it had been a long, painful road, but he had _done _it. He continued to bask in his success, laughing and making a racket, until he attracted the attention of his navigator.

"Luffy!" Nami sighed as she walked out of her study into the deck of the ship and put her hands primly on her hips. Luffy glanced over his shoulder, blinking, and then snickered slightly and obediently hopped down from the prow of the ship. "Good grief. I'm trying to make sure we make it to Amazon Lily in one piece, and your incessant banging doesn't help!" she complained as he hopped up on a barrel and began swinging his feet. He ignored her rant, picking his teeth, until she mentioned their destination.

"Oh! How close are we?" he beamed, perking up at the mention of the island filled with tough women. It was a particularly enjoyable location for him, as he had spent two years training intensively on the island after the decisive battle with the Navy, and it was home to his good friend Boa Hancock- not to mention, the food was mouthwatering. He grinned dreamily as visions of steaming, juicy tracts of meant danced in his head, and he didn't even bother listened to Nami's conjectures and calculations. He was snapped out of his fantasies as Sanji, who was leaning against the side of the ship smoking a cigarette, frowned and released a plume of thick white smoke before speaking up.

"Amazon Lily? Isn't that the island that Boa Hancock lives?" he asked. Luffy was the only one who had visited the primal jungle kingdom, but his friends were familiar with the proud woman who served as Luffy's benefactor. "The one who is totally head over heels with our knucklehead?" he added with a slight sniff of disdain, and Luffy cocked his head to the side in confusion.

"Huh? What do you mean, Sanji? She's just my really good friend," he blinked. He liked Hancock a lot; she was very good to him in helping him storm Impel Down and supported him greatly in his quest to achieve his dream. Plus, she always fed him well when he was around. Both Nami and Sanji sighed deeply, pinching the bridges of their noses as they tried to level with him. Suddenly bored with the conversation, Luffy's attention lapsed once more, and he whined loudly as his stomach grumbled. "Sanji, is it lunch time yet? I'm hungry!" he complained as he beat his feet on the side of the barrel angrily.

"That's it!" Nami exclaimed, snapping her fingers as an idea bloomed in her bright mind. Luffy stared at her with wide eyes, not sure what she was quite so excited about. "Luffy, think of it this way. You know how much you _looooove _food, right?" she asked him, speaking to him like he was a young child. A grin split Luffy's face as the mention of his favorite thing on the earth.

"Yeah! I love food! Especially meat! It's my favorite! Sanji, are we having meat?" he babbled excitedly, but his attention was drawn back to the orange-haired navigator as she snapped her fingers repeatedly in front of his face.

"Focus, Luffy," she demanded. "Hancock thinks of you like you think of food," she explained simply, and _that _statement got the gears turning in his head. _Hancock… Thinks of me as food? No, no, she likes me as much as __**I **__like food, _he realized, frowning deeply as he considered the strange analogy. Now that he thought about it, Hancock always got this starry-eyed, funny look on her face whenever she looked at him and she was always so eager to please him. _She gets really sad when I say no to going on walks and stuff. _He suddenly got the insane vision of him going to chomp down on a particularly appetizing plate of meat and it suddenly screaming rejections, making him shudder slightly. He crossed his arms and tilted his head to the side, his face screwed up in concentration as he attempted to understand the strange analogy.

"I'm not sure that I really get it," he whined.

"Oh, forget it. It's pointless," Nami sighed and rolled her eyes, throwing up her arms and slapping them to her sides in a motion of indicating her abandonment of the situation. Luffy continued to contemplate the puzzle of the beautiful woman and food all the way to the island of Amazon Lily.

As they docked in the port, the woman in question was there to meet them, flanked by her two gigantic sisters. She waved excitedly as Luffy hopped down onto the dock, holding his straw hat to his head as he took in the majesty of the island. He appreciated its wildness, its untamed growth of jungle, because it was simply ripe with adventure. While his companions prepared for their stay at the island, Luffy snickered and ran right up to the warlord, grabbing her by the wrist and pulling her down the dock.

"Come on, Hancock! Let's go explore!" he howled with laughter as he took off into the island with the woman in tow. His crew mates shouted objections after him, but he ignored them, too caught up in his own excitement. He had no chosen Hancock as a partner aside from the reason that she was simply the only own available, but _she _wasn't objecting. Her face had turned bright pink and she was holding a hand to her cheek, stammering and avoiding eye contact.

"Oh, Luffy, I would love to explore the jungle with you!" she sighed as he tugged her off the dock and into the loamy soil on the outskirts of the jungle.

"Great! Let's go!" the pirate captain cried and pulled her into the jungle. He let her go when they were well within the jungle, and he held his hat to his head as he looked around in wonder. The jungle looked pretty much the same as the last time he had been there, with towering trees and a forest floor thick with undergrowth, but he was determined to take down a wild animal or two for dinner and explore the areas he had not had a chance to in the two-year time span he had resided on the island. He raised an eyebrow when Hancock abruptly hugged his arm, propping her chin on his shoulder as she gazed up at him with sparkling eyes.

"I've missed you very much, Luffy," she smiled up at him. _I am to Hancock like food is to me, _he recalled, unsure of how to respond to the situation without much context. He thought of how long it felt since he had had his last meal, and he frowned when he realized that it seemed like a lifetime ago. He then grinned brightly down at her.

"Yeah! It's been forever since we last saw each other, huh? I really didn't think about it!" he cackled, then looked around with curious eyes, eager to explore the jungle. He shook off the Amazonian empress to stomp over to a well-sized stick and began poking it around in the bushes, hoping to scare some critter or another out in the open. He picked up the only thing he stirred up, a small, wriggling snake, then snorted and flung it into the bushes since it did not amuse him. He grabbed Hancock by the hand again and began pulling her along through the thick bushes and blooming flowers, whistling loudly as he searched the forest for something entertaining. He was pretty much unaware of the woman's swooning. He stooped beside a small river, poking his stick in the water in an attempt to disturb the minnows swimming around in it.

"I'm really glad you decided to stop here," Hancock told him as she sat down on a rock beside him, her hands resting primly on her lap as she regarded him with a bright red, happy face. "It meant so much to me to hear you were coming…" _Food. Hancock. Food? _He pondered with a frown. He glanced over at her, and suddenly instead of Hancock he was staring at a rice ball. _What the heck? _He blinked and marched over to investigate the phantasm, and sniffed the strangely giant rice ball experimentally to make sure it wasn't real. He heard Hancock squeal, and he blinked, and then she was sitting there in front of him and his face was in her black hair. _Nope. Not a rice ball, just Hancock. How weird, _he concluded with a shrug and straightened up, pointing down the river with his stick.

"Let's follow the river!" he shouted, and he rested the stick on his shoulder as he marched determinedly along the riverbank. Hancock followed behind, holding her face as she mumbled some nonsense to herself. Luffy glanced back at her occasionally to make sure she was following- and not a rice ball in disguise. _Maybe Nami's weird explanation got to my head, _he frowned and rubbed his chin thoughtfully as he continued his journey along the small river. The trees began to grow thinner, less packed together, and large patches of sunlight splashed over the ground. He could hear the waves and smell the salty spray of the sea, indicating that they had approached the shore. His eyes widened as the forest abruptly fell away and he was walking one solid stone. "Cooooool! I haven't been here before!" he grinned as he looked around excitedly. His eyes fell on an opening in the rocky ground, leading below the surface of the earth and even below sea level. "A caaaaaave! Come on, Hancock!" he cried and dragged the woman over to the entrance. "_Helloooooooooo?" _he called into the dark, snickering as he heard his voice bouncing off the stone walls.

"Be careful, Luffy. That cave is made of sea stone," Hancock warned as she stood beside him. He shrugged; he could care less what it was made of. He just wanted to know if there was treasure in it.

"Bombs away!" he cried and jumped into the cave with a howl, clamping his hat to his head as he fell into the cave. The bottom was just a few yards down, and he landed securely on the sandy floor. He looked up at the light shining above, where Hancock was still standing. "Come onnnnn!" he whined impatiently, and the woman pouted at him before picking her way down the wall. She gasped as he foot suddenly slipped and lost her grip, and she shrieked as she fell into open air. "Uh-oh," he blinked, and stretched out his arms to pluck her out of the air and pull her safely to her chest. Holding her like a groom would his bride, he looked down at her. "You're pretty clumsy!" he laughed.

"Oh, Luffy… You caught me!" she breathed, and even in the dark she could see her blushing. _Hancock thinks of me like food, so I should think of her like food? I wouldn't want my food to get hurt, _he thought as he set her down. _Or dirty. _To that end, he brushed her off with his hands, as she had gotten dusty from slipping on the loose sediment, and her body went rigid. He whipped around when he was finished, eager to explore, but when he walked a bit and looked back she was still standing stock-still.

"Hey! You coming or what?" he whined, and that was enough to pull her out of whatever stupor she was in and send her scurrying after him. He waited until she was beside him before continuing onward into the dank cave. It ran underneath the surface of the island, leading inland, but just barely. Several sections of the roof were open to the jungle above, and vines and tree roots hugged the walls while all sorts of mushrooms and molds grew in the dank conditions. Luffy tried to catch a crab as it scuttled away, but the crustacean squirmed into a crack and out of his grasp. As he straightened up, disappointed at the loss of his potential dinner, he blinked as the cave suddenly shuddered slightly.

"Luffy! Look out!" Hancock screamed, and he glanced up in time to see a sizable section of the rock roof breaking free and plummeting toward him. He let out an _oof! _as it cracked into his head, and the force of the blow sent him sprawling out on the floor. He groaned as he tenderly rubbed his head, feeling a sizable lump in his black hair. He blinked when Hancock suddenly leaned over him, her face flushed and her expression worried. "Luffy! Are you all right?" she cried.

"I'm not sure," he drowned. Hancock looked funny. Had her hair always been that shiny and silky? She had pretty eyes, too. She didn't _seem _that different, but Luffy still felt like it was the first time he was seeing her. As he stared at her, he felt strangely happy. _I like Hancock, _he thought giddily, but somehow it wasn't in the same context as before. He was happy they were alone, in the cave, and the others weren't around to bother them. Hancock continued to frown down at him, and he grew strangely embarrassed as she ran a hand through his hair to check his head.

"Oh! You have a bump," she fretted. "You poor thing… Let's get back. I'll prepare a nice big feast for you. A little meat and a party should do the trick!" she decided, sitting up. _Yeah! A feast! _He thought with a grin, the thought of meat tantalizing. He then frowned, falling deep in thought.

"No," Luffy refused suddenly, and she looked down in him in terror.

"Oh, my God. You're dying. Stay here! I'll go get your ship's doctor she shrieked and moved to take off, but he grabbed her wrist so she wouldn't leave. She looked down at him, eyes wide.

"That's not what I meant," he explained. He wasn't sure why, but a party just didn't sound appealing to him right now. Nami would be there, and Sanji, and Zoro, and everyone else, and that just got in the way. "I just wanna eat with you," he told her, and her mouth slowly fell open and something between a wheeze and a squeal slipped out of her. She placed a hand over her heart, bright red.

"Oh! Just m-me?" she stammered, and he nodded fiercely. _Yeah… Dinner with Hancock… That sounds really nice. _At his affirmation, she exclaimed excitedly and clapped her hands together. "Okay! A private dinner between us! Definitely! Oh, I'm so excited!" she gushed. Seeing her so happy made Luffy happy.

_I think I finally get that stupid analogy, _he thought with a snicker. With the promise of food on the horizon, he hopped up and exited with Hancock out of the cave, pulling her back through the jungle.

This time, he made a point to hold her hand.


	9. My Knight in Shining Armor

Category: Romantic Fluff

Characters: Sanji and Nami

Requested By: YonaWon (Ao3)

Nami frowned slightly as she stood this way and that in front of her body-length mirror, her lips pursed as her gaze drifted across her body. After giving herself a thorough check-over, she determined that somehow she had escaped the craziness on Punk Hazard completely unscathed, which was an uncommon occurrence. Nami had a tough personality, but she was not naïve enough to think that her body was caught up with the program; she was dainty compared to the tough men she traveled with, and though she certainly did not straddle the doorway to death as they did, she still found herself in several scuffles on a regular basis and ended up beat up frequently. _This time I don't even have a scratch! _She thought with a mildly awed expression. _I guess I have Sanji to thank for that._

Normally she did have the suave, lascivious cook to thank for saving her behind, but in this case it was quite more literal. On the bizarre island filled with even more bizarre individuals, Nami and Sanji had fallen victim to a strange body-swapping occurrence. As her mind recalled the odd feeling of being inside his body, acutely aware of how sturdy his body felt and his muscles flexing as she moved, she went pink.

"Stop that! It's indecent!" she scolded herself aloud and slapped her cheeks, leaving them an even darker shade of pink. Pushing the maddeningly attractive man to the back of her mind, she huffed and hastily strode out of her bedroom to investigate what the rest of the crew was up to. As she walked over to the banister of the upper deck and leaned over to gaze out onto the main deck, she saw that the crew was up to their usual antics despite having been through a rough fight not hours ago. Luffy was sitting on a barrel, perched on a barrel and loudly demanding food from a very irritated Sanji, who was smoking a cigarette and barking rebuked at the immature captain. Usopp had a fishing pole and had a line cast in the water, and little Chopper was standing Hind him bouncing up and down with mixed feelings of excitement and concern. Robin was lounging in a chair, deeply absorbed in one of the dusty tomes she kept within reach, while Brooke was at the front of the boat humming as he stared out at the sea; Franky was sitting down beside Zoro, who was fast asleep as usual. It was a welcome site to see everything back to normal after a harrowing experience. Well, mostly back to normal.

During their jaunt to Punk Hazard, the Straw Hats had somehow managed to pick up a trio of unlikely guests. Two were from the samurai island of Wano- the feisty samurai Kin'emon and his small son Momonosuke, whom they had rescued on Punk Hazard. The other was someone they had already met, the young pirate captain Trafalgar Law. Foul-mouthed and gruff, he was an enemy-turned-ally that Luffy was oddly fond of and had already given him the label of "friend"- though Law was not happy to oblige. The samurai man and his son were readily sparring on the deck, while Law was sitting with his sword propped against his shoulder as he half-listened to Luffy whine. He didn't appreciate it when the Straw Hat captain attempted to drag him into the conversation.

"Everything is as it should be," Nami laughed quietly as she observed the scene before she turned on her heel and walked to her work room to prepare their next route. Law had said something about Dressrosa kingdom, while Momonosuke and his father were intent on returning to Wano; the navigator had to figure out the best way to accomplish both tasks in the shortest amount of time, and thus planning would be necessary. She sat down in front of her navigational charts to ponder the course of action, and before she knew it time was rapidly wasting away, until she glanced out her small window to find that the ocean was dyed gold with the setting sun. She then suddenly realized how stiff she was, and rose from the chair to stretch her arms above her head. "Ahh, much better," she sighed before walking over to the window. _What a pretty sunset, _she thought with a small smile. She decided to wander back outside to get a better look at it, promptly leaving the room and walking over to the balustrade of the boat and leaning against the finished wood as she gazed out at the open sea. A smile naturally found its way onto her lips.

_It's beautiful… _The sun was a semicircle of blazing yellow light, turning the once-blue sky a canvas of golden and red light, with the darkness of the night sky rapidly descending like a great curtain as the sun sunk below the horizon. The calm sea reflected the golden light spilling forth, and glittered as waves gently shifted back and forth. Nami rested her arms on the sturdy wood and set her head on top, gazing out at the sea. Though she had been through countless perils with the rowdy pirate crew, she found the never had she regretted the decision to follow Luffy on his quest to become King of the Pirates. Sunsets on the water put those on land to shame, and as long as she was a pirate, she could see them anytime she wished. _I can't think of a better life, _she thought wistfully.

"Oh! Nami! I was wondering if you had fallen asleep in there," called a teasing voice, and the tangerine-haired girl glanced over her shoulder to see Sanji sauntering over to her with a cigarette banging from his mouth and a smirk playing over his lips. As soon as her eyes fell on it, she blushed, immediately recalling her inappropriate thoughts earlier that day. _Oh, crap, _she thought and hastily turned her face back to the setting sun, hoping the glow of the fading light would mask her blush.

"I've been busy planning our next move. I came out to watch the sunset," she explained simply. She hoped her nonchalance would keep him from taking too close a look at her.

"You do girly things like that?" he asked her with a small laugh, making her temper flare.

"What's wrong with appreciating the sunset?" she snapped hotly and whipped around to face him, bristling like an enraged cat. He just seemed to find the outburst amusing, laughing heartily before glancing out at the water. He smiled as the sun continued to drift below the horizon.

"Nothing. It is pretty, I suppose," he relented with a chuckle, and then he glanced back at her. "All you all right, though? I'm afraid I might have overdone it while I was in your body," he frowned down at her, causing her turn to pink once more and turn away.

"Oh, um… Actually, I seem to be completely unhurt… You did a good job, um, taking care of my body," she answered awkwardly. _Oh my God, that sounds so wrong, _she groaned inwardly, but Sanji seemed to overlook her discomfort.

"I'm relieved! I would never forgive myself if you got hurt, Nami~" he beamed brightly.

"What about you? I mean, I- or, you- took that hard hit from Caesar," she asked in turn, and in response, he grinned stupidly.

"What, me? It would take a lot more than that to hurt me," he snorted proudly. _Confident, aren't we? _She thought with a raised eyebrow, then gulped when he turned to her and stood a little closer to her. "But you're concerned about me, Nami? I'm flattered," he grinned at her, and that dazzling smile of her sent her heart beating rapidly in her chance. _Damn him, _she thought in mortification and hastily scooched away.

"D-Don't read too much into it! Of course I get concerned when all you loonies go around getting beat up all the time! Normal people would be dead after all the things you guys put yourself through!" she huffed and crossed her arms, turning her face away. She blinked when Sanji did not respond with another teasing remark, just silence, and in confusion she glanced back over her shoulder to see him gazing at her with a somewhat sad look. "What's that look for?"

"I just… I never stopped to think about it. How much stronger Luffy and Zoro and I are, and how reckless we can be… We really do end up dragging you into some dangerous situations," he answered sadly, and suddenly Nami felt guilty for her thoughtless comment.

"No," she interrupted before he could go on. "I mean, you do, but… You know, I _want _to get dragged into those kinds of situations. I mean, of course I don't, but- ugh, how do I explain this?" she muttered in frustration as she struggled to put the odd feeling into words. "What I'm trying to say is, just because I end up in danger doesn't mean I resent it. Even though we go through some pretty dangerous things and rough times, I still don't regret them. It's an adventure, you know? And I wouldn't trade it for anything," she explained after a moment of pondering. She looked back up at Sanji, whose sad expression had turned blank. _Did I make it worse? _She wondered in mild fear, but then was relieved as he smiled softly at her.

"You know, Nami, you act all tough, but on the inside, you really are just a girl," he mused, and though it seemed he was trying to make a compliment, Nami just stamped her foot in frustration.

"'Just a girl'? I give you my heartfelt feelings and that's what you say? Jeez, Sanji, and I thought you were good with women!" she cried before shoving him roughly away and stomping up the stairs toward her work room. She could hear Sanji babbling behind her attempting to explain herself, but she was too busy trying to keep up the mad act to listen. Really, she wasn't angry; somehow, she liked the idea that Sanji thought of her as a girl. Perhaps it was just that shameless side of her. Smiling to herself, she stalked into her work room, but allowed Sanji to muscle his way in after her.

"Come on, Nami, you know I didn't mean it like that!" he whined as he stood against the back wall while she sat at her desk and pretended to pore over her collection of maps and ocean current charts. "Namiiiiii," he whined pathetically, and she rolled her eyes at how childish he sounded. _I'll tease him a little longer, _she thought in amusement and wrote some fake notes down. Suddenly, she froze as she felt Sanji's sturdy arms wrapped around her, and her face became afire with blushing. "Please, Nami, say you forgive me," he purred in her ear, and Nami was upset to find that the tables had so suddenly turned. Her pen fell from her hand as it began to shake slightly. _Oh… _She was so in shock that she was quite unsure what to think, so all she could do was comply in the hope that he would let her go and keep her heart from bursting through her ribcage.

"I-I forgive you," she stammered quickly, and exhaled deeply as she felt his arms slide out from around her. That small, shameless part of her burned with the urge to pull them back, to stay wrapped in his embrace, but she hurriedly quashed it. She bit down on her lip, attempting to control her blushing before glancing over her shoulder to see that Sanji was grinning like an idiot, and she once again felt annoyed with his endless games. "Proud of yourself, are you?" she snorted. _Only he can make me go so topsy-turvy… One minute he has me all in a tizzy and the next I can't stand him! I can never tell what he's thinking! _She thought grumpily. "I don't appreciate you teasing me, Sanji," she huffed.

"I never tease," he refuted playfully, but she just turned back to her charts with a short. "So, what is our plan?" he inquired.

"Dressrosa Kingdom," she remarked as she looked down at the map, finally settling on a decision. "I think that is the best course of action. I'm still not really sure what Law wants to accomplish there, by confronting this Warlord. After we'll head to Wano so Kin'emon and Momonosuke can return home. It's further away, and there are a few islands we have to pass through first. Probably gonna end up in another dangerous situation," she mused as she leaned back in the chair and regarded the map with a small smile. _That's what I get for following a reckless, foolhardy captain like Luffy, _she thought in amusement. _Still… I said I wouldn't trade it for the world, and I meant it. _

"Hey… Nami?" Sanji suddenly said, and she frowned. There was something strange in his voice. Sanji was normally so confident, but now, he sounded almost… Unsure. She found that suddenly she was afraid to turn around and look at him, scared she would find that sad look on his face again. _I keep saying things that make him feel guilty, _she thought miserably.

"Yeah? What is it?" she responded hesitantly.

"You're not gonna look at me?" he asked, and she could hear the frown in his voice. _No. No, because I'm afraid of what I might find and what I might do, _she thought as she chewed on her lip and shrugged it off as if she was busy. She cried out in alarm as she heard him quickly close the distance between them and grab her chair, lifting it clear off the ground with her in it to spin her around and plop her back down so that she was facing him. Shocked and shamefully impressed with his brute strength, she kept her gaze on her lap as her face burned. Sanji was intent that she look at him, however, and she gasped as his hand slid under her chin and lifted her face up. As soon as their eyes met, she was immediately electrified, unable to do anything but stare up at him with her mouth slightly ajar. He _did _have that sad look, but there was something else too, something she could not place. "Nami, you know that I'll always protect you, don't you?" That comment threw her for a loop.

"Wh-what makes you say that all of a sudden?" she squeaked in surprise. It unnerved her, and flattered her, too. The idea of Sanji being her knight in shining armor certainly appealed to that secret side of her heart, the side that she kept hidden even from herself- the side that loved this annoyingly and undeniably handsome and strong man. Still, she had to keep up the innocent act, because part of her was afraid that it was a one-sided affection. Sanji loved women in general, after all, and who was to say that it was just harmless flirting like always? "Y-you're not making sense. What makes you think I need- or want- protection?"

"There you go with that tough act again," he said teasingly. "Nami, I know you are certainly capable of holding your own, but you and I both know that there are some situations that will come along that you can't. I told you before that I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if you were hurt… So, I'll always be your shield."

"I don't understand," Nami responded dumbly. She wasn't used to this side of Sanji- so serious, looking at her with that unidentifiable flame burning in his eyes. She found once more that her heart was beating faster than it should, and she had a strange afraid-elated feeling in the face of this new development. Was it possible that Sanji felt something for her after all? Why else would he make such a bold declaration? Then again, it was just the kind of chivalrous thing he would say to put Nami at ease and put a flirty remark in. _I'm so confused… _"Why are you saying this? I already told you that the danger doesn't bother me."

"It bothers _me_, Nami," he responded quickly. "I know you chose this life and you don't regret it, but the thought that you're in danger all the time because of all our stupid recklessness…" he sighed and hung his head sadly, confusing her even more. "I don't like it."

"You're not answering my question. Why do you care so much?" she asked before she could stop herself, though she already knew the answer.

"Silly Nami. So smart, but so dumb at the same time," he mused softly as he looked down at her, sitting in the chair wringing the fabric of her pants with her hands as she anticipating the answer. "Because I love you, of course."

Sanji said it so often, but this time, she knew that it was more than a passing flirtatious remark. She knew he _meant _it. She wasn't sure why, but suddenly a few tears were spilling from her eyes, and she hastily lifted her hands to wipe her wet cheeks.

"I-I'm sorry. I don't know why," she stammered with a nervous laugh. She wasn't sure why that had been her immediate reaction, and she was sure that Sanji didn't appreciate it, but thankfully he seemed unbothered. He crouched down in front of her, smiling warmly as he took her hands and pulled them away from her face.

"Don't worry, Nami. It's okay to cry when you're happy," he chuckled and reached up to finish brushing away the tears. Her lips quivered as she smiled, because she realized that she _was _happy. _Sanji loves me, _she thought giddily. She laughed softly as she rested her hands on her lap and smiled down at him, quite unsure of what to do or say. Sanji knew, though. Without missing a beat, his hand rested against her cheek, and she could not help but lean her face against it, admiring the chef's soft hands. _His pride and joy, _she thought absently, becoming distracted to the fact that his face was moving in close. By the time she noticed, his lips were already on hers, and she immediately melting under the soft kiss. Her mind flew elsewhere, unable to form any cohesive thoughts aside from those concerning the man kissing her- how nice it felt, how handsome he was, things like that. Her eyes drifted shut as she savored the feeling of him, and her heart sung with joy. _My knight in shining armor, _she thought. _I can live with that…_

"Sanji," she whispered as he drew back, and her voice was full of longing. That shameless part of her had surfaced and overtaken her, and wanted him to just keep kissing her. He found that _quite _amusing, and smirked at her. When she regained control of herself, she blushed darkly, causing him to smirk more.

"You're cute," he laughed.

"Don't tease me," she whined and crossed her arms, the romantic mood killed by his incessant games.

"I never tease," he repeated playfully, but despite his insistence he reached out and placed his hands on her hips, hoping to further get a rise out of her. "I mean everything I do," he grinned as she squirmed at his touch, trying to squash the rising feelings inside of her.

"I don't think this is how a knight is supposed to act," she snorted, trying to seem unbothered by his hands curled around her middle.

"I don't think princesses are supposed to go around kissing knights," he refuted with a snicker, and Nami could not help but smile being referred to as a princess. As the romantic mood between them began to bubble once more, their faces began to gravitate together as if drawn by magnets, but before they could meet the ship suddenly rang with a loud, demanding voice.

"Sanjiiiiiii! Where are youuuuu? I'm _starving!" _Luffy shouted outside, and they could hear him stomping around the deck as he searched for the ship's cook. "Cook me some food before I kick your ass!" he demanded loudly.

"Curse that rubber man and his bottomless pit," Sanji muttered under his breath as he stood up and walked over to the door to throw it open. "Shut up! I'll cook when I'm good and ready, dammit!"

"No! _Nooooooow!" _Luffy screamed and catapulted himself across the deck to land in front of the door and cling to Sanji's leg. "I'm so hungry!"

"Ugh! Fine! If that what it takes to get you to stop whining!" Sanji groaned and shook his leg in an attempt to dislodge the immature captain. Luffy was not going to let go unless Sanji wandered down to the kitchen, and Nami smiled wistfully as she realized that she and Sanji weren't going to have any more romantic development for the night. He glanced back at her and gave her a wink, and then mouthed, _"See you later," _making her sit up straight and turn pink. "All right, come on, you buffoon," he sighed and walked out of the room, one leg dragging as Luffy remained resolutely stuck to him. Nami watched him go with a small smile.

_My knight in shining armor, _she thought again, a hand rising to her heart.

_I know you'll protect me, Sanji._

_Always… _


	10. The Man I Know and Love Part III

Category: Romantic Fluff

Characters: Sanji and Nami

Requested by: YonaWon (Ao3)

Nami breathed in deeply as she stood with her hands resting against the smooth railing of the Thousand Sunny, her eyes closed as the salty aroma of the endless sea filled her nose. _It's over… We're free… _she thought blissfully, so overcome with relief that a few tears slipped from her eyes and went rolling down her cheeks. _We're safe. _At least, they were for the moment. Luffy's brazen siege of her kingdom in the attempt to recover Sanji had slighted her immensely, and she was an Emperor- she was not going to take that bold challenge go unanswered. Most likely, she was already in pursuit, and would follow them all the way to Wano where _another _Emperor was waiting. They had barely managed to escape from one Emperor; Nami could not imagine facing off against two, and rumor of Luffy's reckless actions had already spread, so who knew if the others would rise up to quash the force that was rapidly growing. Luffy was the force on the seas to be reckoned with. His bounty had been increased to a whopping 150 billion Berries, and as a result of his daring escape and association with the Germa 66, Sanji's had increased as well. The Straw Hats would soon find that they had more enemies than friends.

_Still, _she thought as she glanced over her shoulder down to the deck of the ship, where Luffy, covered in thick bandages, was dozing in the sunlight. _I have faith in my captain, as goofy and unassuming as he is. _Somehow, he had brought them through the raid of Whole Cake Island relatively unharmed- that fact spoke volumes. Though the days before them were uncertain, Nami believed that the darkness would pass.

Nami's gaze flicked across the large deck of the ship as movement flashed in her peripheral vision, and a blush immediately rose to her cheeks when she noticed that it was the suave cook they had nearly killed themselves to rescue- the man that had finally proclaimed his love to her, a love that Nami had gladly accepted and reciprocated. However, the entire idea was still new to her, and every time that she saw him she thought of the passionate kisses, once in the hallway and again in Bege's castle fortress, and that sent her heart to beating furiously in her chest. _"I told you once, there is only one woman who holds my heart, and that is you," _his voice echoed in her head, making her blush further. As she gazed at him with emotions bubbling up inside of her, Sanji glanced up as he strode across the deck, and his expression melted into a smile when he saw her. Wherever he was heading, he abandoned the endeavor and lightly hopped up the steps to join her on the upper deck, while Nami, embarrassed for him to see her blushing, turned her face back to the sparkling sea.

"What're you thinking about?" he asked her as he slid up beside her, his hands resting casually in his pants pockets. With the chaos of the previous days, the small notion that was the familiarity of his posture was almost comforting.

"I'm just relieved," she answered honestly as she glanced down at her hands that were clutching the wooden banister. "We went through so much, and for a little while there, in the back of my mind, I was afraid that we really weren't going to make it… But we did. We escaped Big Mom. We got you back," she smiled and looked up at him happily. _He's safe… _ Without thinking, she pressed up against him, their arms brushing gently together; though it had been an unconscious action, the corners of Sanji's mouth tugged up into a smirk, and then the next thing she knew he had slipped his arm around her waist. "Sanji, wait," she gasped and hurriedly whipped around to look back down at the deck, where her captain was still softly snoring. "The rest of the crew doesn't know about us yet!" she fretted and tried to worm her way out of his grasp, but as she turned to the side, his hands migrated to her hips and pulled her body up against his. Her face turned bright red as their bodies met, but Sanji was all-smiles, grinning like an idiot at her obvious mortification. "Sanjiiiiii!" she whined, but not too loudly so as not to attract attention.

"Why do I have to hide it?" he asked her with a suddenly serious expression. "I love you, Nami. I want everyone to know it." Naturally, this made her feel slightly guilty, but she still could not handle the stress of the entire crew becoming aware of their recent romantic involvement. He leaned forward to kiss her, but she pressed her hand against his mouth, which he did _not _appreciate. His dark eyes narrowed with a mixture of disappointment and irritation, and he reached up to pry her slim fingers from his mouth.

"That's the second time you've done this to me," he whined loudly, then looked down at her hand, which he was still gently holding. Then, with a smug smirk, he pulled his hand to his mouth and softly kissed her knuckles, once, twice, a third time. As nice as it felt, she could not fully enjoy it, as she kept frantically glancing around at the various entrances onto the deck and to where Luffy still lay dozing lest one of the crew members stumble across them embroiled in the romantic gesture. Sanji didn't take lightly to that, either, and stopped affectionately smooching her hand to glance up at her crossly.

"Can't we just go in my room to do this?" she complained with another furtive look over the ship, attempting to pull her arm back. Sanji's grip held steady.

"No. Why are you acting like this? Are you embarrassed of me?" he asked, and when she looked back at him, his face had turned from irritated to extremely sad. Nami immediately felt guilty for the way that she had been acting. _Why am I so embarrassed? I put my life on the line to save him from Big Mom and all her murderous followers… This is a man I know and love. I shouldn't be embarrassed of him, and I shouldn't be embarrassed of him showing that he loves me, and me showing that I love him… _she thought, a smile spreading slowly across her lips.

"No. Of course I'm not, Sanji," she sighed and reached up with her free hand to gently cup his cheek. "I'm sorry. It's just so natural for you, but for me… This is all new. I just get so into my head," she explained and looked down at their joined hands. "… Let's tell them," she decided abruptly, and even Sanji seemed surprised at her sudden boldness.

"Are you sure?" he blinked with an unsure look. "I don't want to force you into anything, Nami. If you're really that uncomfortable, I don't mind hiding it for a while," he frowned. _He's so sweet and considerate, _she thought with a small giggle before she adjusted her fingers so that their hands were entwined.

"No, Sanji, you're right. Why should I hide the fact that I love you?" she smiled brightly, and she laughed again as a goofy grin slowly spread across his face. She gasped as he suddenly sprung forward to steal a quick, passionate kiss from her, before whirling about to pull her down the steps onto the main deck of the ship. Despite her conviction only a few moments ago, his suddenness threw her off guard, and she internally panicked as he bustled her down onto the deck and slammed his foot down loudly onto the wooden planks right in front of Luffy's face.

"Get up, Luffy, you've slept enough! I have an announcement!" Sanji shouted. Luffy merely groaned with a flutter of his eyelids, slowly lifting his head as a dribble of drool flowed from his mouth.

"Nggh? Is it dinnertime yet?" the pirate captain mumbled sleepily as he gazed sleepily up at the cook, who just snorted and crossed his arms.

"No, it is not dinnertime. I have something to tell everyone," he reiterated. Perhaps part of his plan, the ruckus attracted the rest of the Straw Hat crew that had made the journey to Whole Cake island from the bowels of the Thousand Sunny.

"An announcement? What is it?" Carrot quipped as she scurried out of the lower desks, her nose twitching as her eyes sparkled with curiosity. Chopper tottered out after her, his little reindeer hooves clicking against the wood as he walked.

"What's all this about?" Brooke asked as he strode out onto the deck with his long, bony legs. Nami just hid behind Sanji, her face bright pink as she stressed; Sanji, on the other hand, was calm as he cleared his thought dramatically before pulling Nami out into the spotlight, throwing his arm around her shoulders and grinning dramatically.

"Nami is my girlfriend~" he crowed proudly. He was practically radiating happiness as he stood with his arm around her, while she was blushing from head to toe, her gaze trained on the wood grains beneath her feet. _This is so embarrassing! Did he have to make such a show of it? _She thought in mortification and peered out of the corners of her eyes at him. He looked positively ecstatic, though, to be able to show her off, that she took a deep breath to quiet her doubts and lifted her head to smile just as happily.

"Really? That's the big announcement? I thought you were announcing dinner!" Luffy whined as he flopped onto his back and held his belly in protest. "Meat! I want meat!" _So much for that, _Nami sighed to herself. Luffy's insatiable appetite never ceased to amaze. Thankfully, the rest of them were more excited about the recent development.

"Wow! I'm so excited for you, Nami!" Carrot cried as she darted forward to clutch her hands, her eyes literally sparkling as she stared at the girl with a mixture of excitement and pride.

"Oh, how wonderful! I shall sing a song~" Brooke cried and whipped out a violin (from where, Nami really wasn't sure), drawing the bow across the strings as he sang some love song or another while Sanji very grumpily told him to knock it off. Chopper was running around in a circle squealing with glee.

"I think I'm gonna die of happiness! Someone get a doctor! Wait- I am the doctor!" he shrieked and froze when he came to that realization. As they all reacted positively, Nami began to feel a lot more at ease. _I'm… Sanji's girlfriend. _Hearing herself say it made her surprisingly giddy, and bold; with a bright smile, she wound her arms around Sanji's, gazing up at him with all the love that she felt in that moment. Noticing her stare, he looked down, and as their eyes met she could see that her love was reciprocated completely. _The man I know and love, _she thought, and without any shame at all she stood up on her tip-toes to lightly press her lips to his. Though he was obviously surprised at first, he soon relaxed into it and gladly returned her affectionate action.

"Grooooooooss!" Luffy whined, utterly destroying the loving atmosphere between them. Both she and Sanji shot him irritated glares, but the immature captain just pouted as he looked up at them. "I don't care! Make me food!" he cried and lunged forward to grab onto Sanji's leg, like a young child throwing a tantrum. "I'm huuuuuuunnnngryyyyy!"

"Get off!" Sanji cried back as he tried to shake him off, but if their long adventure had proven anything, is was two things: Luffy could not be dissuaded when he set to his mind to something, and his stomach was almost as much of a force to be reckoned with as he was himself. After a few minutes of unsuccessfully trying to pry the hungry man off of him, Sanji finally relented with a deep sigh and a roll of his eyes. "Fine, fine! I'll cook you some food! Geez, you're such a pain!" he complained, and at the promise off food the rubber man finally relinquished his hold on Sanji's leg.

"I'll join you!" Nami cried as he began to walk off toward the kitchen, and since he was already falling into that acute sense of focus that he had when cooking, he just waved a hand in acknowledgement. The rest of the crew began to chatter about some ridiculous thing or another as Nami walked briskly after the long-legged man, following him into his beloved kitchen. As soon as she closed the door behind her, however, Sanjo dropped his act and cornered her against the door with a sudden and passionate kiss. Nami was helpless as he pulled her into his arms and stole her breath away; she just allowed it to happen, obediently moving her mouth against his as he pushed the kiss deeper. After a few minutes of hot, heavy kissing, he retreated, but only slightly.

"Sorry. I just had to finish what you started," he teased with a smug smirk, his face close enough that his lips brushed against hers with every word. Her heart was still hammering in her chest, so fiercely that she couldn't focus on trying to speak. She just stared dumbly at him with a face flushed from emotion and exertion. Sanji leaned forward to lightly kiss her on the nose, and the simple touch stirred her from her stupor. However, before she could react, he chuckled lightly and pulled away from her to walk into the heart of the kitchen, rolling up his sleeves as he prepared to get right to work. "So, are you gonna stand there and look pretty or are you going to help me? Not that I mind you standing there and looking pretty," he winked at her with a cheeky grin. Nami rolled her eyes and bounced across the kitchen to join him, and soon the kitchen became filled with the aroma of lovely-smelling food as well as elated laughter.

_I love him so much… I hope things can stay like this for a long, long time… _


	11. A Lovely New Assistant

Category: Romantic Fluff

Characters: Sanji and Nami

Requested By: farrah87

Sanji narrowed his eyes slightly as he stood in the doorway of his kitchen, the cigarette perched between his teeth trailing smoke into his mildly puzzled face as he slowly and deliberately scanned his dark eyes across his workspace. _Something is definitely off… That doesn't go there, and I __**never **__put that there… _As he perused the scene, noticing intricate, tiny details that gradually pieced together the puzzle in his mind: during his absence, someone had _definitely _been in his kitchen.

It wasn't to be unexpected. After all, he had been in Big Mom's captivity for quite a long time; _someone _had to cook for the crew while he was away. The question was, _who? _

"All right! Which one of you assholes messed with my kitchen?" he roared as he whipped around, chomping down on the end of his cigarette angrily as he dramatically stomped his foot against the deck of the ship. All the crewmembers, who had been lounging about on deck goofing off as usual, turned to look at him with surprised eyes while he was practically a raging inferno of anger. They had messed up his system, disturbed the sanctity that was his place to make _art, _dammit, and he was gonna make sure that they had hell to pay.

"Oh, that would be Nami!" Carrot chirped, and immediately the fire that was his race fizzled out into a pathetic sizzle in a skillet. As he deflated like a balloon, blinking as he processed what the cute rabbit girl had just so happily revealed, the rest of the crew buzzed with recognition.

"That's right! Nami made such yummy food!" Chopper squealed and threw his little reindeer paws in the air. "Not anything like _Luffy's _food. Blegh!" Sanji's thought process screeched to a halt like a record scratch, and his eye spasmed repeatedly as he stiffly turned on the captain, who was laughing like the idiot he was.

"Yeah! I almost burned down the shi- _Gwak!" _Sanji interrupted his sentence as he grabbed ahold of his throat and proceeded to throttle the life out of him, absolutely enraged that the moron would even _think _about stepping into his beloved kitchen. The rest of the crew just cowered together like frightened sheep watching a wolf devour one of their brethren, while Luffy was a mere shredded corpse in Sanji's hands, wriggling his arms about and gasping for breath. Sanji dropped him on the door to death, mumbling under his breath before taking another puff of his cigarette and looking thoughtfully up at the door that led to Nami's work study. As Luffy drooled stupidly, unconscious, an image was forming in his mind.

_Nami is handy in the kitchen, they say… It's always a chore cooking for all these morons alone. Plus… _A pink blaze spread across his cheeks, and he nearly swooned imagining it. _Nami in a cute little pink apron! _He could just see it, her innocently turning to glance over her shoulder with her eyes sparkling shyly and her face red as she held out a spoon for Sanji to taste her handiwork. He squealed with delight, clapping his hands together as his heart thumped right out of his chest, and then raced up the steps of the ship to pound on her door. When it opened, however, he magically regained his gentlemanly composure.

"Hello, Nami," he grinned at her, and then bristled when she sharply answered "No" and slammed the door in his face. Frowning miserably at such a brusque refusal, he hesitantly knocking on the door again, more softly this time. "Nami, I wanted to know if you would help me in the kitchen," he called hopefully. There was a period of silence, and he was afraid that she was ignoring him, until the door opened again and she was standing there with a doubtful look on her face.

"You never ask me for help with the cooking. What gives?" _Oh, she's so cute when she's stubborn! _He thought, completely in the thralls of pure love, before he grinned widely and put his hands on his hips to bend down slightly and bring his face a little closer to hers. Her face flushed, whether from embarrassment or anger, and he hoped it was the latter.

"They tell me you cooked while I was gone, and were good at it! I can always use a hand. Please, Nami?" he asked her, flashing her his millionaire smile, and her face turned a nice shade of magenta. She looked down at her feet, muttered something under her breath, and then nodded firmly. Victorious, he spun around to dash down the stairs, ridiculous fantasies already racing through his mind while Nami just followed behind looking like she regretted it already. However, as he raced into the kitchen and put on his apron, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. _All right! Time to get serious! _When he turned fo greet the beautiful navigator as she walked in, his expression was that of a pure professional about to get to work. "Here, Nami. You'll need this," he told her and handed her an apron. She walked over and took it from him, tying it about her waist, and his professionalism was momentarily betrayed by his lead underside screaming in delight. _She's so cute! _

"All right. What would you like me to do?"

"Cut those carrots, please," he ordered, turning his face away to force himself to compose. _Come on, Sanji, you're at work here. _As she walked to the table and began to do as instructed, he watched her out of the corners of his eyes, going about his own business. A silence settled between them, and oddly, it was tense. Nami just stared at the table, chopping the carrots into slices, and there was a hardness to her expression that he could not place. After five minutes of brutal silence, she lowered the knife, staring at the carrot before her with eyes swimming with emotion. "Nami?" he asked aloud, turning to her, and she visibly jerked, as if roused from thought. Blushing, she hastily sliced the carrot and then carried the cutting board over to him, not meeting his eyes. Suspicious now, he watched her intently as he took the board from her and slid the carrots into the pot of stew that he was brewing.

"You baked the cake with Pudding, right?" she asked abruptly. Sanji's eyebrow shot up his forehead. _Where did that come from? _"Did you… enjoy that?" A pink hue had risen to her cheeks, which were slightly puffed out as she consciously avoided his confused stare. _Is… is Nami __**jealous **__of Pudding? _He realized, a smile slowly forming on his lips. He had never seen Nami _jealous _before, especially not over _him. _It made him positively _elated. _Smirking as a plan hatched in his mind, he turned around to stir the pot of stew nonchalantly.

"Pudding is quite a cook herself. It was nice working with someone of her caliber," he remarked casually. "Could you start on the onions next, please?" he added with a point to the stack of them on the counter, and she looked up at him, her eyes wide as she tried to read what was going on in his mind. _She is __**so **__jealous! _He thought giddily, watching as she quietly walked over to the onions and began to peel and cut them. "Oh, yes, Pudding looked so cute in her little apron~" he chimed casually, watching her out of his peripheral vision, and Nami's face flushed darkly. It was then that he felt bad at the little game he was playing, as her expression grew dismally sad. "… But, you know," he continued lowly, setting down the spoon on the counter and casually walking up behind her, "she definitely wasn't as cute as _you." _At his sudden appearance over her shoulder, she gasped and whipped around, and if his reflexes hadn't been what they were the knife she was using would've cleaved straight through his blonde hair. She bit down on her lip as she glared up at him, cheeks red, and then roughly thrust the cutting board into his hands.

"Here! The onions are done!" she snapped and jumped up, stalking over to the counter to grab a bigger knife and begin roughly sawing at a hunk of meat. She muttered under her breath, her face as red as the raw meat she was carving into, and Sanji watched her carefully as he dumped the vegetables into his stew. _Are those tears in the corners of her eyes? Great, now I've done it. You had to be cute, Sanji. _Still mumbling, she cursed as her long tangerine hair got in her way, and she grabbed a fistful of it to hold it to the back of her head; unfortunately, this made it difficult for her to cut the meat. As she was about ready to stab the slab of meat on frustration, Sanji quietly walked up behind her and gently took the waves of tangerine hair into his hands, holding up her hair for her.

"Here. This should make it easy, right?" he asked. She glared at him with blue eyes like the sea they sailed on, then snorted and went back to sawing at the meat angrily. _Jeez. I hope she isn't pretending that's me, _he grimaced as she hacked at it without mercy. _Ugh, think, Sanji. You caused this mess. She thinks you like Pudding better! How can I prove that I don't? _As he pondered the miserable grave he dug for himself, his fingers curled into her luscious locks, his eyes could not help but be attracted to that shining orange hair- and then her slim neck beyond. He focused on it, feeling a heat rising up inside of him, and before he even realized it he had leaned down and gently planted a kiss on the nape of her neck. He expected her to whip around, screeching obscenities and hacking at him with the knife, but instead she froze. He could feel the muscles of her neck stiffen under his mouth as he gently kissed her again.

"S-Sanji…" she murmured, and there was a fear in her voice, but an excitement, too, an excitement that made his blood get going. His gaze flicked upwards, his black eyes locking with her own, and she watched him apprehensively as he moved his face a little to softly kiss the side of her neck. Her head twitched in response, tilting as if to give him access to that beautiful, smooth, milky skin, and the lids of her eyes drifted down slightly and her mouth parted. Sanji _loved _that look on her face, that look of scared ecstasy, and he bunched all of her hair in one hand to slide his other one under her chin, tilting it upwards as he traced his lips across the groove of her neck. She let out a little gasp, and that sound made every nerve in his body sing with electricity. His eyes still locked in hers, hungry, feral, his lips migrated slowly up her neck and across her chin until at last they reached their prize, sliding over her own with a quiet but fierce passion. As he kissed her, she melted against him, trembling slightly. The entire time their eyes remained open, and in the depths of her rich brown eyes he could see _everything. _

When he pulled back she was breathless, shaking, and staring up at him with a mixture of helplessness and desire. It took her for a moment for her to gather her thoughts, so Sanji just held her, his arm around her waist while the other was still tangled in that beautiful orange hair. "I-I thought… Pudding…" she mumbled incoherently, but he guessed her intentions well enough.

"Pudding? Don't make me laugh. She's a pretty woman, but that's all; my heart always belonged to _you, _Nami." Her face relaxed a little, her mouth curling into a small smile, but he could still see the doubt there. "I shouldn't have said those things. I was just so overjoyed at the thought that you were jealous," he admitted, and he was truly apologetic. Truly, he shouldn't have been cruel like that. He leaned down over her, bring his mouth close to hers again, and murmured against her lips, "Can you forgive me, Nami? For all the hurt I've put you through? I won't ever make you doubt again," he vowed. He kept staring into her eyes, all that time, and watched as they flooded with happy tears. Choked up, all she could do was nod, and he smiled as he softly kissed her once more, more deeply and gently this time.

_Nami… That whole time, all I could ever think about was you. _He pulled his face back to bury it into her neck, breathing in the scent of tangerines that she carried. "I missed you," he mumbled. He really had. Though he had always played it off, he _loved _Nami, with every fiber of his being; he always knew that his past would catch up to him, and so he lied, to everyone and himself, pretending to be a playboy with no conception of love. It had been hard, heartbreaking sometimes, and he had come so close to just abandoning the façade and giving in to the love he felt for the intelligent, beautiful navigator; but he had resisted, fearful of what his family might do if they ever learned of the girl. Now, though…

Now, he was free to do as he pleased with no fear at all.

He hadn't spoken it aloud, but Nami heard him. She reached up with her hands, sliding her slim, perfect fingers through his golden locks with a gentle smile.

"I missed you, too. You had better not leave again," she warned him. He nodded, lifting his head to smile serenely down at her. "Now. We had better get down to business, okay? Luffy will start pounding on the door if we don't feed him soon," she joked. As much as Sanji would just like to stand there and hold her and kiss her all day, he had a job to do, as a chef. Bending down to give her one last pack on the cheek, he then retreated and returned to his position at the stove, occasionally barking orders to Nami. He couldn't help but watch her the entire time, appreciating just how adorable she looked cooking in an apron alongside him and occasionally holding her hair up with one hand.

_Looks like I have a lovely new assistant, _he mused to himself, because occasionally she would catch his gaze, and her face would melt into the most loving, happy smile he had ever seen her wear…


	12. A Daring Rescue

Category: Mild Romantic Fluff

Characters: Monkey D. Luffy and Charlotte Smoothie

Requested By: camdawg (FanFiction)

Luffy sat perched on the bulkhead of his ship, swinging his legs back and forth as he held his hat to his head lest it be blown away by the considerable breeze rolling off the gently frothing waves. He softly hummed a tune to himself, enjoying the kiss of salt against his skin and the smell of the sea wafting up his nose. Though he very much enjoyed riveting adventures, sometimes just sitting at the head of his ship enjoying the sea was pretty lovely, too. He watched an albatross coast the trade winds above his head, its wings occasionally flapping once before settling back into a steady glide.

"Luffy! Get down here!"

The pirate captain turned his head when he heard his navigator yelling at him, and there she was, standing on the deck of the ship with her hands on her hips. He screwed up his face in disgust, anticipating that the navigator was going to yell at him; however, she held up one of her hands to show that she was holding an envelope. "There's a letter addressed to you!" This definitely garnered his interest, and he hopped down from the bulkhead to stride across the deck and snatched up the letter. "Hey-!" Ignoring her protests, he ripped open the envelope and unfolded the paper inside, eyes wide with curiosity.

"It's from Chiffon!" he cried when he read the name written at the bottom of the letter.

"Chiffon?" Sanji gasped from the second level of the deck. He hopped over the railing to land beside him, peering over his shoulder to confirm that the daughter of Big Mom was, in fact, the sender. "Why would she send a letter to _you_?" Luffy shrugged in response; _he _certainly didn't know why the woman would send him a letter. Due to the commotion, the rest of the crew had gathered around. They were all clamoring for him to read the contents aloud.

"All right, all right! Be quiet!" he snapped in irritation before clearing his throat and bringing the letter close to his face to read the swirly, cursive handwriting. "'Dear Straw Hat Luffy,'" he started, "'This is Charlotte Chiffon, Lola's twin sister.'" Luffy only vaguely remembered _both _of the women, truthfully, but he remembered Chiffon more due to her close association with Bege, who he rather liked. "'I am writing to ask for your help. The World Government demanded that Mama give up one of her children as punishment for the trouble that the failed wedding caused. Mama has handed over Smoothie, and she is going to be imprisoned in Impel Down. I know this is a lot to ask, but please save Smoothie.'" As he read the letter, a ripple of shocked gasps spread through his crewmates.

"She wants us to save one of Big Mom's pirates?" Brooke frowned, or frowned as much as his old bone face would allow.

"It's more than that! She wants us to save her sister!" Chopper squeaked, waving his little reindeer hooves.

"But she's our enemy! Besides, we need to meet up with Zoro and the others at Wano," Nami asserted. She had that cross look on her face again, with her hands primly on her hips.

"It's not Big Mom that's asking, though. It's Chiffon, and she is pretty much why we made it off that island," Sanji pointed out patiently. Luffy ignored the banter of his crew, arguing that they should or shouldn't save the woman, while he just stared hard at the rest of the letter. _The ship is currently headed for Impel Down. If you turned around now, you could easily intercept the vessel. Please, Luffy. You are the only one I can ask to do this. I know that it's wrong of me, after all Big Mom did to Sanji and the rest of you, but Smoothie is my sister, and all of us siblings care very much about her. You're the strongest pirate I know, and you always do the right thing. _

"Quiet!" he barked suddenly, and the angry squabbling around him immediately ceased. A broad grin spread across his face, and he snickered quietly as he crushed the letter in his fist. "Nami! Set sail for Impel Down! We're gonna catch that ship and set Smoothie free!" he cried, throwing his hands in the air happily. Though sitting on his ship staring at the sea was always lovely, he just _loved _an adventure. His crewmates looked at him with doubt, but did not openly object; instead, they began scurrying about, adjusting sails and turning the rudder to alter the course to the infamous pirate prison. Luffy did a spin of glee before hopping back up onto the bulkhead of his ship, watching the waves slap against the front of the boat and throw up glittering white foam. _Look out, Charlotte Smoothie! The Straw Hats are on their way! _

Luffy grew more impatient as the day went on, pacing the deck and letting out annoying, wheedling whines whenever one of his crewmates came close enough to hear him. There wasn't much to do besides wait for the ship to appear on the horizon, and Luffy _hated_ waiting. After hours of this, he climbed back onto his favorite perch with a long sigh, holding up his head in his hands as he stared through lidded eyes at the horizon. The sky was beginning to turn a rich golden color as the sun slowly sank into the sea, and its light splashed over the waves, sparkling like the stars slowly appearing with the inky blackness of night. Bored, he watched the blazing ball of fire slowly sink into the water. Then, he suddenly jumped up with an excited shout, pointing at the sunset. "I see it! I see it!" Sure enough, a black speck had appeared in the yellow sun, and was slowly forming the shadowy silhouette of a ship. "Full speed aheaaaaad!" he crowed, spinning around. He then cried out as he lost his balance and pin-wheeled his arms desperately to keep from plummeting into the ocean.

His crewmates were scrambling around the deck again, this time to coax more speed out of the _Thousand Sunny_. Luffy hopped down onto the wood, watching the sails unfurl and catch the wind and hearing the ropes scream as they shot through the pulley mechanisms. The tension in the air was high, and he could feel his blood beginning to simmer with the rush of battle. He snickered happily as he looked back at the horizon; the shadowy ship was rapidly growing larger, forming the image of an impressive Navy vessel. It was a much larger ship than the _Thousand Sunny_, and so it was an easy feat to outrun it. Luffy cried out as the water suddenly exploded beside the boat, indicative that a cannonball had been launched at them. "Whoa!" he cackled happily.

"They're shooting at us! They're shooting at us!" Chopper shrieked as he ran in circles with tears streaming down his furry little face. Carrot was attempting to console him, to no avail.

"We're coming on fast, Luffy! I need you to take care of those cannonballs so I can pull close enough for you and Sanji to be able to reach it!" Nami called down to him from where she was tightly gripping the wheel, holding it steady as they rapidly approached the enemy ship. As she spoke, another cannonball screamed overhead, and he quickly inflated himself to send it rocketing harmlessly back into the sea. The vessel was about one hundred yards away now, and he could see little shadowy figures scuttling hither and thither, and hear the disembodied shouts of Navy men drifting on the ocean breeze. Rapidly, the _Thousand Sunny_ closed in on its prey, until the ship was coasting in the wake trail of the formidable ship. The small pirate vessel bounced up and down in the swell, the waves crashing against the hull and sending salty droplets raining down on them. Nami was struggling to hold the wheel fixed, her slim arms shaking with the strain. "That's it! I can't get it any closer! It's up to you now!"

"Chopper! Carrot! Brook! You wanna go?" Luffy cried with delight as he hopped up onto the balustrade and prepared to wind up his arm for the throw. Chopper was sitting in a puddle of his tears and crying, with Carrot kneeling beside him and patting his little reindeer head. He shook it emphatically at the captain's prompting. Before the other two could answer, there came a series of angry shouts, and Luffy turned to see that the Navy soldiers were swinging on ropes to bridge the gap between the two boats. "Whoa!" he shouted, ducking down to avoid being decapitated by a saber. The soldier landed on the deck only to find himself at the business end of Brook's sword.

"Go! We'll take care of things here!" he called, and so Luffy did as bid, stretching out his arm to grab ahold of the sizable mast. Holding a hand to his hat, he sprang over the gap, while Sanji used his Sky Walk to bridge the gap with a series of powerful jumps. They landed on the deck of the ship, falling right into a brawl with low-ranking military personnel. It was kind of pitiful and dull, because he and Sanji had them scattered across the deck groaning and bleeding in a matter of seconds. Luffy grabbed one by the front of his shirt and held him up, shaking him a little.

"Hey! Where's Smoothie?" he demanded. The man, barely conscious, lolled his head and muttered something unintelligible before passing out, much to his disappointment. Luffy dropped him and proceeded to another, who informed him that Smoothie was contained within the bowels of the ship. Luffy wasted no time kicking the doors leading to the lower levels of the boat right off its hinges, sending the reinforcements that were on their way tumbling back down the steps. He plunked down the stairs, punching anyone who made the mistake of coming too close, while Sanji took care of any stragglers he had ignored. For a ship that was bearing a daughter of Big Mom, Luffy was disappointed at the level of security; there was no super-powerful lieutenant or captain to be found. Unbeknownst to him, he had knocked him out upon landing. "This is too easy!" he whined to Sanji as a rather brave soul sprang out from behind a barrel with a loaded rifle.

"Stop whining. Let's just get Smoothie-" he paused to deliver a swift kick to the man's head and send him crashing through the wall- "before they get out a distress signal."

"Ooh! You think they'll call Smoker?" he grinned as he continued merrily strolling along the hallway and down another set of stairs.

"I hope the hell _not_!" came the irritated refute, and Luffy just puffed out his cheeks. He was in the mood for a _good _fight. Still, he didn't find one, and reached the brig of the ship with relative ease. The keys, which he had swiped from the jail keeper after relieving him of his consciousness, swung around his index finger as he approached the large cell in which the long-legged woman was confined. She had her eyes closed with her arms crossed, and he was reasonably sure that she was asleep; however, as he stopped in front of the bars, her eyes snapped open to stare levelly at him.

"What are you doing here, Straw Hat Luffy?" she inquired calmly. Her silvery hair shone dimly in the dark, settled around her body like some kind of luxurious coat.

"I'm here to rescue you, duh." Though she kept up her unbothered demeanor, he could see her eyes widen slightly in surprise. "Chiffon asked me to," he clarified as he inserted the key in the lock and turned it, then pushed the door open. "I don't really care about you either way, but she's a friend, and my friend asked me for help. Simple as that." He walked into the cell, preparing to unlock the chains that bound her, but Sanji grabbed him by the wrist.

"Hold it, Luffy. How can we trust that she won't hand us over to Big Mom?"

"Couldn't you have brought that up _before _we stormed the ship?" he whined as he pursed his lips at him. "Besides, you think I'm just gonna let her beat me up and hand me over? Come on, Sanji," he snorted and rolled his eyes. He looked back over at Smoothie, who was just calmly sitting there, chained to the chair and gazing levelly down at him.

"What do you intend to do with me?" she asked suddenly. Luffy blinked, then cocked his head to the side. He hadn't really thought about what he was going to do with Smoothie once he rescued her. He couldn't just deliver her to Big Mom, because he certainly didn't have the manpower to take the Emperor on again so soon. He didn't have time to take her to another island, because he had already wasted enough time and needed to get underway to Wano immediately. He sat there for a moment, thinking, then grinned at her.

"Wanna join my crew?"

"Oh, good grief," Sanji muttered and turned away his a hand over his face, but Luffy thought it was a _fantastic_ idea. What little he had seen of her showed that she was a capable woman, and besides, he didn't have a Long-Leg tribe in his crew yet. She would be the _perfect_ addition.

"No."

"Aw," he pouted glumly and tapped his foot as he tried to think of an alternative. "Well, then, I guess you'll be my hostage," he decided with equal glee. He had never had a hostage before. It was certainly a very pirate-y thing to do.

"How is that any different from my situation now?" she smirked lightly at him, staring at him in amusement through the one eye not covered by her silvery hair. She had Luffy stumped for a minute.

"Well, for one, the food is better," he grinned with a look at Sanji, who was giving him an extremely pained expression. "And I'm not gonna lock you in Impel Down. I've been there. It's not a very fun place," he added as he scrunched up his nose, remembering the vile prison. Smoothie continued to give him that level stare, gauging his truthfulness before she dipped her head in a small nod.

"All right. I won't make any attempt to attack you if you release me," she promised. Luffy grinned in glee and set to unlocking the padlocks on her person, while Sanji was shaking his head and muttering about how asinine the entire thing was. As the chains fell off of her, landing with heavy _thunks_ against the thick wood, Smoothie rubbed her wrists and stretched her arms and legs to relieve the stiffness; then, she stood, stooping over as her head brushed against the low ceiling of the cell. Sanji stiffened, obviously expecting the woman to retaliate, but the woman just looked down at the pirate captain. "Thank you."

"No problem! Come on, hostage!" Luffy laughed as he chucked the keys aside and strolled out of the cell. A few straggling soldiers attacked them on the way up, but they were relatively unbothered as they made it out onto the deck. Luffy could see the _Thousand Sunny_ still sailing in the wake of the massive Navy ship, with a couple of Navy officers swimming in the foamy froth after being thrown off the boat by his crewmates. "Let's get outta here," he grinned and promptly wound his arm tightly around Smoothie's waist, while he stretched the other to latch onto his ship's mast. When the three of them landed securely on the deck, Nami wrenched the wheel and pulled out of the wake, and the sails caught the wind to bear them speedily away from the Navy ship. Luffy released Smoothie and made to head to his favorite napping spot.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Nami cried, taking the steps two at a time on her way down from the wheel. "What are we going to do with her?" she demanded and pointed at the fifteen-foot-tall woman.

"She's my hostage."

"If she's your _hostage, _why don't you lock her up?" Luffy screwed up his face in distaste.

"That isn't very nice, Nami." The navigator stamped her foot and pulled at her tangerine hair, then exhaled deeply and composed herself. She threw up her arms in defeat, shaking her head as she turned to head back up the stairs to her chart room.

"All right, all right. I'm setting a course for Wano. This had better not bite us in the butt later, Luffy!" she called down, and he winced as she slammed the door shut. _Why is she so grumpy? _He pouted. He strolled back over to the mast and settled himself at the base, tipping his hat forward to cover his eyes before settling his arms beside his head. Just as he was about to close his eyes, a pair of feet clad in ornate boots appeared in the thin space beneath the brim of his straw hat, and he looked up to see Smoothie standing over him.

"What? I'm taking a nap."

"I thought I was your hostage?" she blinked down at him. Though she kept her face as blank as ever, he could see the minute traces of confusion there.

"What do you expect me to do? Lock you up, beat you within an inch of your life?" he snorted. _How dumb. _"Chiffon asked me to rescue you, and I did. Now you're my hostage, and I can treat you however I want, and I don't wanna _mistreat_ you," he shrugged.

"I didn't ask to be rescued." Luffy sat up with a sigh and returned his hat to its proper position, confident that he wasn't going to get his nap with the woman's incessant pestering. He crossed his arms, craning his neck to overcome her towering height.

"So what, you were just _okay _with Big Mom selling you out like that? For such a big, bad Emperor, she sure let the military push her around," he mocked. Her face flushed a light shade of pink, and he raised an eyebrow as she crouched down so that they were face-to-face.

"Don't insult Mama like that!" she snapped and jabbed her index finger into his chest. Luffy held his ground, keeping his arms crossed as he glared right back into her eyes.

"I'll insult her all I want. I don't respect anyone who can just callously give up their family like that!" he retorted hotly. He hadn't liked the giantess, to begin with, considering her treatment of Sanji, but he _definitely _didn't like her now. He would have died rather than give up Ace to the military. In fact, he had nearly died doing _just_ that. "She doesn't give a damn about you or any of your siblings. She doesn't deserve your respect either!" he asserted firmly. Smoothie's face slowly drained of color, and he was shocked to see her expression grow sad. She fell back slightly to sit on the deck, her long legs tucked underneath her, and her silvery hair glowed in the moonlight as it framed her hourglass shape.

"She gave me up…" she murmured. _Finally, she's getting it. _He watched her for a minute. A thin river of tears began running down one of her cheeks. She put up such an emotionless front that he hadn't expected such a reaction from her. _I guess she can feel after all. _He scooted a little closer to her, dipping his head to look at her since her gaze was downcast.

"Hey. There's no need to cry. You'll have lots of fun as my hostage!" he reassured her brightly. "Sanji makes amazing food, you know. Wait until you meet the rest of my crew, too! They're all waiting at Wano! We do a lot of cool things together, like seeing who can catch the biggest fish or kill the biggest game so Sanji can make it for dinner! We play a bunch of cool games, too, while we're sailing, and Zoro is always really funny the more alcohol he drinks. We have a running bet to see how much alcohol it takes to get him drunk! So far, he can drink five barrels of rum! _Five!" _he told her ecstatically. "Plus, we make friends everywhere we go! I have a whole armada, you know, with all my friends!" he bragged, sitting back up. He heard Smoothie giggle a little, and he beamed widely at her when she looked up with a tiny smile. He thought she had a rather charming smile.

"You aren't too bad, after all."

"_Duh_! Are you just figuring that out?" he snickered as he rocked back and forth slightly, holding his feet. He had his eyes closed as he laughed, so he didn't see Smoothie leaning forward until her lips gently pressed against his cheek, and his eyes snapped open in shock. "Uh," he blinked as she pulled back, smirking slightly as she stared at him alluringly. He just rubbed his cheek, not quite sure what to do, and smiled bashfully at her. _Her hair looks pretty in the moonlight, _he thought, though he wasn't sure where that thought came from.

"I think this is going to be a lot of fun," she chuckled before rising to her towering height and striding away. Luffy leaned forward to watch her climb up the steps to join a very confused Carrot at the helm, and they engaged in avid conversation about Carrot's origins. He watched them for a minute, then snickered to himself and settled himself back down for his nap.

_I knew this was a good idea. I think this is gonna be a lot of fun, too! _He thought gleefully, the image of the strange new addition to their ship dancing in his mind with the light of the moon…


	13. A Present for Nami

Category: Mild Romantic Fluff, Friendship Fluff

Characters: Sanji, Charlotte Chiffon, Charlotte Pudding

Requested By: farrah87 (Ao3)

Sanji exhaled deeply as he paused to glance up at the blazing blue sky above his head, then ran the back of his hand across his forehead to wipe away the thin sheen of sweat that had accumulated there._ I hope everyone is hanging in there. We're almost done!_ He hoped as he glanced back down at the deck of the ship, which was bustling with activity as the cooks under Chiffon's command frantically ran hither and thither. To appease Big Mom's murderous rage, he had been assisting the twenty-second daughter of the Emperor in baking an exact replica of the wedding cake for the last several hours. They were so close to finishing, but with no news of how the rest of the crew was doing, he was admittedly anxious. _I just have to have faith_.

"Sanji!" The Straw Hat pirate turned as his name was abruptly called, just in time to see the pink-haired, brawny pirate wife tottering toward him. "It's nearly ready! Here! Taste it!" she insisted as she held out a fork with a bit of the spongey iced cake on the end. Sanji did as bid, and as the sweet taste spread over his tongue, he could not help but grin devilishly.

"It's absolutely _divine_, Chiffon! This cake will stop Big Mom right in her tracks! I guarantee it!" As he smirked triumphantly, the cooks cheered happily, and the crew began scrambling around once more to set course for the island on which they were rendezvousing with the rest of Sanji's crewmates. Sanji approached the towering wedding cake, occasionally barking orders at the cooks who were providing finishing touches to the icing. He could see Pudding hovering off to the side out of the corners of his eyes, staring hard at him._ Pudding really is cute. Too bad my heart belongs to another woman_, he thought apologetically. The image of the beautiful, tangerine-haired navigator flashed into his mind for a brief moment. He wondered if she was all right. Before his mind could descend into frightening scenarios, he hastily bent his thoughts on the cake. _I can't worry about her… I have to believe that Luffy will protect her- all of them, but especially her. _

"Sanji, I have a question for you!" Chiffon chirped at him suddenly, and he turned once more to face the large woman. "What is Nami's favorite kind of cake?" Sanji had to admit that he was surprised that she would ask so suddenly about the woman, especially when he had just been thinking about her.

"Why would you ask about her?" Pudding snapped grumpily. At the mention of the navigator, the caramel-haired baking expert had rushed to Sanji's side, glaring daggers at the clueless Chiffon. She still kept her distance from him, though, her fingers twitching anxiously as she watched to see how he would react. Sanji looked back at Bege's wife, sliding his hands into his pockets.

"Yeah, Chiffon, what's up with this all of a sudden?" he agreed.

"Nami is Lola's friend, yes? I've heard a lot about the good things she did for her," she explained with a big smile. "So, Nami is my friend too. I just want to bake a small cake for her, to thank her for helping Lola so much." It sounded like a good enough reason to Sanji, so he pulled out one hand to rub his chin thoughtfully.

"Hmm, I see. Well, Nami loves tangerines, for sure, but she also likes fruits in general. She's partial to berries, though- _especially_ strawberries. Those are her favorite. As for cakes, angel food cake is definitely her top choice, but strawberry cake and vanilla cake are close seconds. She prefers whipped frosting over creamy frosting," he babbled, and as he continued to talk about her, a smile naturally formed onto his face. It had taken a lot of trial and error and careful observation to discern what her food preferences were. He could just see that little smile on her face as she sat bent over her work desk, nibbling at some confection or another he had prepared for her. She always hid in her office when he made something just for her, but she left the door cracked to let the sea breeze in; he would always peer into her room to see her reaction for just a brief moment. She would always bring him the plate when she was done with a simple "thank you," but when she turned around, there would be a flash of happiness on her face that Sanji always managed to catch.

"You like Nami, don't you?" Sanji was snapped out of his fantasizing by Chiffon's amused question, and he looked back to her to see her smiling knowingly. He could feel Pudding bristling next to him, quaking with rage, but he wasn't going to lie for her sake.

"I don't just like her. I _love_ her!" he confirmed with a big, happy grin. Sanji really did, though he had played it off all this time- mostly because he knew that his past would eventually catch up to him one day. Now that everything was out in the open, though, why did he have to hide it?

"Sanji, what about me?" Pudding pouted beside him, her face taking on that dark, murderous shadow he had seen many times over the strange roller-coaster ride that was his captivity in Big Mom's empire. He looked down at her, and, not missing a beat, flashed her an alluring smile.

"Oh, but you're beautiful, Pudding," he told her smoothly, and she squealed and clapped her hands to her cheeks, gushing over the compliment. _That ought to appease her for the moment_, he thought with a slight sigh. Pudding had turned out to be not that bad after all- more than anything, he just felt _bad_ for her. All her life, she had been told she was a three-eyed monster and a tool. Though Sanji admittedly felt nothing romantic for the girl, he always wanted to make women feel beautiful and _worth _something, and Pudding was no exception- despite her murderous alter ego. As the girl scampered away to swoon, Sanji looked back at Chiffon. "I _love_ Nami," he repeated, "but I don't know how she feels about me." Pudding ceased her loud squealing, perking up at the admission. Sanji frowned; he had thought she had escaped earshot. It was not in his nature to hopelessly string the girl along. It was too late to recover from that bungle, however.

"You haven't told her yet?" Chiffon asked him with a deep frown, and he shook his head with a small sigh. He glanced over the side of the boat out at sea, where the waves were writhing as if mirroring the maelstrom that was their dismal situation. The sea always reminded him of Nami. In the brief moments of respite during his tortuous two-year training period, he would stand on the shore with his boots off and his pants legs rolled up, ankle-deep in the surf, and watch the waves roll in and out. He would wonder where she was, what she was doing, and if she was safe. He had thought of her even more while he was a prisoner in the vast castle complex of Big Mom. He could tell himself that he felt something for Pudding and would be able to live with marrying her all day, but when night fell, and he would lay in his bed, alone with his thoughts, his mind was bent on Nami. Her smile, her beautiful tangerine hair, her robust confidence and brazen personality- everything he loved about her, and he would regret holding his tongue. _I should have said something,_ he would think. _Now it's too late._

Things were different now, though. There was a pretty good chance that he could escape Big Mom's clutches. What would he do now? All his life, he had lived expecting this to be the end, and now his future was uncertain. Chiffon patiently watched him think, then chortled loudly, bringing him back to the present. "Would you like to help me bake the cake for Nami?"

"Of course." Sanji never missed an excuse to cook something. He glanced over at Pudding, who was mumbling under her breath about winning Sanji or something along those lines. "Pudding? Would you like to join us?"

"Absolutely not! I won't make anything for that woman!" she snapped hotly, her caramel pigtails whipping about as she shook her head wildly. He chuckled at her blatant refusal and shrugged, accompanying Chiffon across the deck. Naturally, Pudding stood there for a few minutes, fuming, before stomping after him. She hovered over his shoulder as he assisted Chiffon, alternating between gushing over his cooking prowess and hissing about the fact that he was making something for another woman. Within half an hour, they had a little two-tier cake, angel food cake with tangerine whipped frosting garnished with a couple of tangerine slices.

"Oh! It's perfect!" Chiffon cried in delight.

"It isn't anything special," Pudding retorted with her cheeks puffed out defiantly and her slim arms crossed with displeasure. One of the cooks brought them a box, and they carefully put the cake inside and tied it shut with string.

"Make sure you get this to Nami, Sanji, safe and sound!" Chiffon told him as he took the box and carefully slipped it into one of the pockets on the inside of his coat. It made an obvious bulge, but it was the safest place he could think to keep it in the coming chaos.

"I will, Chiffon," he assured her. One of the cooks started yelling that the island was in sight. He walked over to the side of the boat, placing his hands on the wooden railing as he watched it slowly approach. His friends were out there. _Nami_ was out there.

_I have to deliver this present safely to Nami for Chiffon… _He glanced over his shoulder at the large woman, who was grinning mischievously at him while Pudding sulked beside her. _Use this present to tell her how you feel,_ she was telling him. Sanji looked back at the swirling ocean, at the island rapidly growing larger on the horizon, at the battle he had yet to fight, at his uncertain future…

_I'm coming, Nami._


	14. Some Sound Advice

Category: Friendship Fluff, Mild Romantic Fluff

Characters: Portgas D. Ace, Sanji, and Nami

Requested By: Scarlett (Ao3)

"Stop playing with your food, dammit! I worked hard to make that!"

Ace jumped slightly as Sanji abruptly stormed out of the kitchen to whack Usopp and Luffy savagely over their heads as punishment for foolishly playing in the wet rice that he had prepared. He blinked in mild confusion as the blonde-haired cook continued to berate them angrily, while the sniper was splayed out on the deck apparently unconscious and Luffy was just rubbing the back of his head with a defiant pout, cheeks puffed out like a child. _Man. Pops doesn't allow that kind of talk… But Luffy just lets his crew knock him around and all that? _He thought, then smiled slightly. _He really hasn't changed at all… _he thought in amusement as Luffy and Sanji continued to squabble for a few minutes. When Usopp came to, he yelped pathetically as Sanji abruptly grabbed both of them by the backs of their shirts and dragged them to their feet. "Make yourselves useful and wash the dishes, will you? I have to pack lunches for the desert!" he huffed before whirling about to stomp back into the kitchen.

"I can help you," Ace called to the young cook, beginning to rise from his position on the deck. He was quite bored, to be honest; he never did well with just sitting around, and he wanted to be useful. He frowned when Sanji turned around and brusquely refused.

"Don't be ridiculous. You're a guest," he sniffed at him as he rolled up his sleeves with a small smirk before he put a cigarette in his mouth and lit it. He breathed in deeply, inhaling the thin white smoke, before exhaling the foggy substance and smiling at him. "I'm not opposed to people watching me work, though. Besides, you can keep an eye on those loons." As he shot an irritated glare at his little brother, Ace was once again shocked at how disrespectfully he spoke of his captain. _He really doesn't keep a tight ship, does he? _He thought with a slightly raised eyebrow as he followed Sanji into the kitchen. Luffy and Usopp were in the corner, mumbling in irritation as they prepared to start the chore assigned to them, and Sanji ignored them as he strolled over to a table that already had various ingredients piled neatly about it. As Ace pulled up a chair, flipped it backwards, and sat down with his chin propped up on the back and his arms hanging down, he watched with interest as Sanji began to expertly arrange the little lunch boxes.

"Wow. You certainly know what you're doing," Ace whistled, impressed. He jerked back a little when Sanji snatched up a fork, stabbed a sausage, and abruptly thrust it in his face with a big grin, obviously wanting Ace to sample his handiwork. He shrugged, not having any reason not to, and took the fork from him to chomp down on the meat product. His eyebrows shot up his forehead as soon as the spicy sausage landed on his tongue. "Whoa! This is great!" he cried with his mouth full, almost wishing he had refused because he definitely wanted more. Sanji smirked at the praise and resumed what he was doing.

"I just take pride in my work, that's all," he shrugged nonchalantly, but from the way that he was smirking, Ace could tell that he was pleased. Sanji glanced over in the corner to see what the other boys were doing, then his pleased expression immediately morphed into onto of intense annoyance. "You idiots! That's the bucket of mop water! Why the hell are you washing the dishes with that?" he snapped, pinching the bridge of his nose as he struggled to remain calm. Of course, Luffy and Usopp just snapped back, with Luffy going so far as to stick his tongue out at the bereaved cook. Before Ace could comment, the door to the kitchen was suddenly thrown open with almost enough force to take it off its hinges, making them all fall silent and look in shock at the entrance.

"All of you! There's a storm coming!" Nami cried, striding across the kitchen to grab Usopp and Luffy hy their collars to forcibly drag them back across the room and out the door, barking orders the entire time. Luffy was crowing excitedly, happy that something interesting was finally happening, while Usopp was shaking in his boots and going on about how they were all going to die. When Nami stuck her head back in, tangerine hair swinging wildly, and snapped at Sanji to assist, the cook happily darted out of the room to do her bidding.

"Ace, I need your help with the sails," she ordered him before vanishing back out the door. _How can be so sure that there's going to be a storm? _He wondered as he walked out of the kitchen, holding his hat to his head. There wasn't even a breeze, but sure enough, the crew was scrambling about at Nami's beck and call, tying this down and securing this sail and whatnot. He stood there for a moment, staring out at the calm blue sky mirroring the calm blue sea, until Nami screeched at him to get his butt moving. Disgruntled, he obediently went to changing the sails as she asked, climbing easily up the mast to prop himself on the main sail and let it down. By the time the cloth billowed out, catching the light wind produced by the sea, a stain of gray clouds was spreading across the horizon. Ace cried out as a sudden gale ripped across the ship, and if he hadn't grabbed onto the mast, it would have knocked him right down to the deck below. The roiling gray clouds were rapidly eclipsing the natural blue of the sky, and he could see sheets of rain pouring into the writhing waves even at this distance. Occasionally, flashes of white illuminated the dark mass. It was rapidly approaching them.

"Uh, Nami? Those clouds are really close!" he heard Usopp squeal in fright, but Nami was at the wheel, spinning it around to catch the wind. Ace jerked forward, thankfully still holding tightly onto the mast, as the sail caught the fierce wind and sent the ship streaming through the water. The boat rocked violently in the large waves, and a cold rain began to spill down on them as the edge of the storm brushed over them, but then they were surging forward, leaving the maelstrom behind. The crew below erupted into cheers, praising Nami's weather-predicting skills, while Ace just sat up in the sails, staring down at the girl curiously. _How did she know? _

The rest of the morning went by uneventfully, and by the time the sun was at its highest point, they had landed in the desert and were trekking through the dunes with Vivi at the lead. The little reindeer, Chopper, was plodding along ahead of Ace, his little pink tongue hanging out of his mouth as he panted heavily in exhaustion.

"It's so hot," he moped miserably.

"Oh, yes. It can get up to fifty degrees Celsius in the desert. That's why you have to wear plenty of clothing, because sunburn is a very real problem," Vivi smiled at him over her shoulder. Ace still didn't really understand what was going on in Alabasta, and what Crocodile was up to; not that it was really his concern. He had to find Blackbeard, and so he couldn't concern himself with the goings-on of island countries. Still, he felt bad for the princess, and was glad that his brother was willing to help her. _Bratty as he is, he has a good heart, _he thought with a smile with a sidelong glance at his brother. He raised his eyebrows as Nami suddenly hit the boy in question over his head.

"Luffy! Stop drinking all your water!" she scolded him angrily as Luffy spit the straw to his water canister out of his mouth and did his signature pout. "The desert is dangerous. Even _you _could die," she tutted before continuing onward. Ace trotted across the sand to fall in pace with her, admittedly staring at her with curiosity. He had never met a woman who was so no-nonsense and could easily take charge, especially over a bunch of rowdy men like the Straw Hats- and then there was the business with that storm. He just walked alongside her for a moment, trying to think of something to say, but before he could she suddenly looked up at him with a small smile and friendly eyes.

"So, what's it like seeing Luffy after all this time?"

"Heh. He hasn't changed at all," he laughed, glancing back at his brother, who was still sulking. "Still, in some ways, he's come a long way. He's certainly a lot stronger than when I last saw him," he mused before turning back to him. "So how did you fall in with all these clowns?" She looked at him quizzically, and he smiled sheepishly at him. "Oh, come on. I've been watching these guys all day. They would definitely fall apart without you!" Truthfully, he was beginning to wonder if Luffy was merely the captain for show, and Nami was actually the mastermind of the pirate crew. The girl blushed pink under his praise.

"Their heads are full of air most of the time, but they get down to business when they need to," she shrugged with a small smile. He could tell by the look on her face, the way she was gazing off at the desert with her face relaxed in happiness, that she really thought highly of them. _I'm glad Luffy has capable friends like her. It makes me worry less. _

"So, how _did _you know that storm was coming?" he asked her. "I've never seen anything like that. It came up out of nowhere, but you knew it was coming well in enough time to get away!" Once more, she blushed, looking a mixture of satisfied and embarrassed.

"I've been studying weather patterns and navigation since I was very small. It's just a matter of reading the barometric pressure and wind patterns," she answered. She made it sound so simple, but it was still like magic to him. He continued to gaze at her in pure reverence, while she just flushed and tried to make light of her talents. As they trekked onward through the desert, they talked animatedly about a lot of things, and by the end of it all Ace was truly impressed by the remarkable girl. She was tough, smart, and resourceful, and he wasn't going to make light of that just because she was a woman; if anything, it was more impressive, because she had a lot to compete with, considering the kind of men that made up the pirate crew.

By the time the sun was setting, they had reached a complex of cliffs and canyons, which would provide them some shelter from the harshness of the desert night. The temperature had already dropped significantly, so much so that Chopper was shivering violently with chattering teeth and attempting to curl himself up into a ball. The managed to scrounge up some dead limbs, and Ace used his powers to get them a nice fire going, which certainly improved matters. Which the raucous pirate crew sat around the roaring flame, snickering and cutting up while Sanji distributed food, Ace stood several yards away, gazing out at the rolling dunes that glowed white under the moonlight with his arms crossed. _I came here looking for Blackbeard… But I haven't heard anything about him. Could it be possible that it's a dead lead? _He wondered. He was pulled out of his thoughts when he heard the soft crunch of feet on sandy crystals, and he turned to see Sanji standing behind him, holding out a bowl of stew with an oddly unreadable expression on his face.

"Thanks," Ace said, taking the stew and intending to go back to his quiet contemplation, but to his shock the crew stomped around and planted himself in front of him with his hands on his hips and his cigarette clenched in his teeth. His face was uncomfortably close, and Ace was beginning to get the idea that Sanji was irritated with him for some reason. "Can I help you?" he frowned at him, not one to be intimidated.

"What the hell is your game with Nami?" he demanded hotly. Ace blinked in confusion, not having expected a question about the navigator whom he had befriended.

"I don't follow."

"Don't play dumb! You've been staring at her all day, and getting awful close, yeah?" he hissed angrily, keeping his voice low and glancing up at the girl who was sitting by the fire, oblivious to the confrontation. Ace glanced over his shoulder at her, then back at Sanji, who's face was beginning to turn pink. _What the…? Oh. __**Oh. **_Once he pieced it together in his head, he began to laugh, because frankly, it was a ridiculous accusation. Sanji didn't think it was very funny, though. "Why the hell are you laughing?" he snapped quietly, looking in a panic at the rest of the crew around the fire. They didn't seem very interested in the side confrontation.

"Sanji, I don't like Nami or anything," he mused once he had finished laughing. Sanji blinked at him in shock, apparently finding that hard to believe. "I just think she's a remarkable woman. I like talking to her. She's pretty sure, but I'm not the type to fall in love in one day," he smirked before putting a spoonful of the stew in his mouth. "Mm, this is good. You really are a good cook."

"Thank y- no, wait, wait, wait, so you _don't _like Nami?" he sputtered, and when Ace shook his head in affirmation, he sighed heavily in relief, his shoulders sagging as he sat down in a sitting position in front of Ace. "Thank goodness." It was Ace's turn to play interrogator.

"So, you do?" he smirked coyly as he settled down in front of him, looking at him levelly. He had expected Sanji to adamantly deny it, but instead his face lit up with happiness, not unlike a little boy.

"Oh, yes! I love Nami! She's so beautiful and smart and amazing~" he sighed happily. Ace could swear that hearts were dancing in the dashing cook's eyes as he clasped his hands together and held them next to his face, gushing over the pretty navigator.

"You say that a lot, but to me you just look like a hopeless flirt," he pointed out. Sanji really did flirt a lot, with every woman he saw, so he found it pretty hard to believe that the feelings were exclusively. Sanji glared at him angrily, jaw set in defiance.

"No! I do feel very strongly about Nami!" he insisted. He did _look _believable. He was staring right into Ace's eyes, and the man could see a blazing fire in those dark depths. His posture was rigid, too, and his jaw was clenched defiantly. _All right, so you like her. _

"So, why don't you tell her?" he asked. Sanji's attitude immediately did a one-eighty. He slumped down sadly, avoiding Ace's gaze and shifting around uncomfortably. "What? Scared she might refuse you?" he chuckled. He didn't pin Sanji as one to be so easily deterred, but hey, everybody had things that shook them.

"No, not necessarily…" he mumbled. The cook's gaze slid back to the campfire, and he was shocked to find that the man was staring at Luffy now, not Nami.

Ace started laughing again.

"Luffy? Please! That moron has two things on his mind- food, and becoming Pirate King. I don't think he even has enough brains to know what it means to love a woman," he hooted with laughter. Sanji didn't appreciate being made fun of, and just pouted childishly at him; when he regained himself, Ace sighed slightly and clapped him on the shoulder with a smile. "Whatever your reasons are, I don't think you have anything to worry about. There's no need to be jealous. But you know, if you keep quiet about it and she never knows, there's nothing to stop her from falling for somebody else," he pointed out. Sanji's shoulders hunched miserably and he looked down at his lap, drawing patterns in the sand.

"I know… I just don't want to get her involved in… something bad," he muttered evasively. Ace didn't push it. Some people had a past that they were afraid of, and he wasn't one to judge about that. If anything, it just showed how deeply the cook actually cared about the woman. "I would never want to put Nami in danger… So I try to seem like I'm just some hopeless flirt. Nami is the one I really care about, though… But every time I think about telling her how I really feel, I think about what could happen," he groaned. _Whoa. He's really conflicted. _

"I'm not one to tell you what to do," he shrugged, finishing off the stew and setting the bowl aside, glancing up to look at the starry black sky above. "Tell her, don't tell her- that's your choice. But at the end of the days, you're the one who has to live with regrets and wonder what would've happened if you did this or didn't do that," he explained before looking down at him with a small smile. "Between you and me, though, she's quite fond of you," he winked, and Sanji went pink. It wasn't a lie, either. The cook had often come up in conversation with the navigator, and she got this certain sparkle in her eyes whenever she talked about him. Even when she seemed to be berating him for his flirtatious nature, she had this hidden smile in her mouth. It was obvious to Ace the she definitely felt more for the cook that she liked to let on.

"Really?" he whispered, leaning forward.

"Really!" Sanji leaned back again, wiggling the cigarette in his teeth as he looked over at Nami again. Ace was amused by the positively giddy expression on his face. _They're all good guys… I'm glad Luffy found people like them, _he thought once more. He raised an eyebrow when Sanji suddenly jumped up, grinning widely.

"That's it! Once we save Vivi's country, I'm gonna tell Nami how I really feel! For real, no holding back!" he swore, pulling his cigarette out of his mouth the beam gratefully down at him. "You know, you really aren't that bad, Ace!"

"What? You're just figuring that out?" he sputtered, but was smiling widely. Luffy, having finally taken notice of the conversation, began whining at him to come join them by the fire. "All right, all right, I'm coming," he called and pulled himself to his feet, throwing an arm around Sanji's shoulders before guiding him over to the fire. As he fell in to the raucous conversation, he noticed Sanji sticking closer to Nami more than usual. She didn't seem to mind too much, either.

_I didn't mean to be a matchmaker, but… I'm glad for them. I hope it works out, _he smiled as he lounged against a rock. He was almost sorry he wouldn't be able to stick around and see what happened.

_I'm on a different path than Luffy. I wonder who will be Pirate King? Him or Pops? _He thought as he looked at his little brother, who was stomping around the fire doing some rowdy impression or another. _With friends like this, he's got a chance for sure. _


	15. A Bond of Trust

Category: Mild Romantic Fluff, Friendship Fluff

Characters: Nami and Mokey. D. Luffy

Requested by: snow3bunny (Ao3)

"Nami! Wait! What about heading to Zou?" Sanji shouted after her as Nami strode steadfastly through the battle-torn streets of Dressrosa. The various factions of the Straw Hat Pirates and their ally Trafalgar Law had certainly made a mess of things in their efforts to escape Doflamingo and Admiral Fujitora. Buildings were reduced to crumbling stone and bent metal, while overturned carts and abandoned goods littered the sandy streets. Here and there, a lingering civilian stared wide-eyed at the carnage, having nowhere to escape the bitter war that had suddenly erupted in their home. Everything the Straw Hats had known about the ruthless pirate leader was a lie; he had been playing them like a fiddle the entire time, and they were now ensnared in whatever trap he had set for them, wiggling like flies trapped in a spider's web. "Nami! Wait up- ow, damn it!" Sanji cursed as he tripped over a large section of concrete, fumbling around it in his feverish pursuit of the navigator. Nami had no interest in heading to Zou on the Thousand Sunny; the others could handle it. Now, her captain needed her.

"Luffy is in trouble! This operation is a monumental failure, and if we don't get ourselves together, we're gonna end up _dead_!" she snapped at him over her shoulder. She vaulted herself over a rather large section of collapsed wall and landed in the sandy road with a huff before continuing on her way. She had no idea where she was going, really; she had no idea where Luffy was or what he was doing now. It was illogical for her to abandon the ship as she did and stomp off into the battlefield looking for him. Something had _possessed _her, though. As the plan had unraveled around them, she felt this overwhelming _need _to rush to his side. Nami was not strong, and she knew that; she barely held a candle to the powerful men she sailed with. Still, she knew she could do _something _to be of use, _something _to help her captain in the battle to come… More than anything, though, she just _had _to know that he was safe. She continued plodding along, her Climatact clutched tightly in her hand, and her mind was so bent on finding the captain that she was not aware of the danger around her.

"Nami! Look out!" Sanji shouted, but she could barely hear him over the sound of rumbling earth and creaking stone. A shadow fell over her. She whipped around to find that the building beside her had sustained massive damage. It was currently collapsing, with an entire sidewall groaning and falling right in her direction. Sanji immediately moved to jump up and destroy the wall with a well-delivered kick, but was unable to do so as a neighboring building succumbed to the stress and sent him scurrying in the opposite direction to avoid being crushed himself. With a shriek, she whirled about and made a mad dash for the edge of the shadow. She was unable to hear anything but the blood roaring in her ears and the crashing of glass and rock. _I'm not gonna make it! _She thought, and threw herself on the ground covering her head, praying that somehow she escaped unscathed.

Suddenly, the sounds of the crumbling building were replaced by the unmistakable roar of rushing flames, and Nami peered out of her fingers to see the bright red and gold flare of fire blast over her head and rocket into the wall. The heat was so intense that it practically seared her skin as the wall exploded, sending bits of glass and rubble raining down on her. She cried out and covered her head once more, the debris slicing through the skin on her arms and legs, but that was certainly preferable to being squished flat. Once the earth stopped shaking, she sat up and looked to the ruined building, just a pile of rocks and dust with a few lingering flames flickering about. _What was that? It was almost as if… No, but he's dead! _She thought wildly, and whirled about when she heard footsteps crunching on glass and gravel, presumably her rescuer.

"Phew! That was a close one. Good thing I came along, huh?" the stranger grinned at her, the bright pink scar on his face stretching as he smiled. A large black hat partially concealed his wavy blonde hair. A pair of goggles rested on the brim, and the black cloak he was wearing fluttered slightly in the breeze. _He looks like Luffy and Ace, _she thought in mild delirium, struck. "I think I'm getting used to these new powers."

"Nami! Are you okay?" she heard Sanji shouting from a distance away, and she turned to see him clambering over the rubble, slipping and sliding through the loose stone that had formed a wall between them and prevented her rescue. Once he was safely on the sandy ground, he trotted over to her, looking at the stranger warily. "Thanks for your help, but who are you?" The young man opened his mouth to answer, but went stiff as a girl's angry shriek drifted out from a nearby alleyway.

"Sabo! You can't just run off like that! We've got a job to do, ya know?" the girl snapped as she stomped out of the alley. She wore a hat too, a puffy one, and her hair was a blondish-gold color that curled upward at the ends; a scowl disfigured her pretty features. She stalked over to the man and promptly whacked him in the back of the head.

"Ow… Koala… I saw this girl was in trouble! Don't hit me!" he whined, and as he pouted, Nami thought that he resembled her captain even more.

"Nami!" The navigator turned back to the entrance of the alleyway to find, to her surprise, Robin strolling out of it, apparently accompanying the two strangers. "What are you doing here? Aren't you on the Thousand Sunny?"

"Robin? Do you know these two? Oh! That must mean you're part of Luffy's crew too!" Sabo grinned cheekily.

"Wait! You know Luffy?" Sanji gasped, raising his golden eyebrows.

"Yeah! I'm his big brother! Well, his _other _big brother, besides Ace," he cackled and put his hands on his hips and puffed out his chest. _Wow, now everything makes sense, _Nami thought begrudgingly. Her eye twitched in annoyance at the ridiculousness of the situation; somehow, she had stumbled upon another member of Luffy's family that none of them knew about who had somehow acquired the late Ace's powers. After a minute of absorbing the information, it clicked in her mind.

"Wait! If you have the Flame Flame Fruit powers, that means Luffy lost in the Coliseum!"

"Eh, not exactly. Luffy went to tend to Doflamingo, and I fought in his place. I'm the only one in the world he would be okay with having Ace's powers, after all," Sabo mused. Nami breathed a small sigh of relief, glad that her captain was not lying on a stretcher somewhere, or worse, beaten to the brink of death. Still, it was only a small measure; he was still fending off a Warlord of the Sea, after all, and the limited encounters she had with the chaotic man had proved he was ruthless and borderline insane.

"So… You don't know where he is now?" she asked with a small sigh. _Back to square one, it seems. _Sabo shook his head sadly, then slid his hand into his pockets.

"Ah! I've been rude. We haven't had proper introductions. I'm Sabo, and this is my partner, Koala," he told them with a cheeky grin.

"Hiya!" the girl chirped with a giggle.

"I'm Nami, Luffy's navigator, and this is Sanji, our cook," she explained. "We came looking for him. Everything's gone south… Our crew is all split up on and off the island, and Luffy is going to need some back-up." Sabo nodded knowingly, then smiled at her.

"It does me good to see Luffy has good friends that are worried about him! I don't know where he is now, but we know where he's gonna be- Doflamingo's palace… But, you know, he may not want you to come after him, Nami," he pointed out. "Doflamingo is a pretty dangerous dude, and if he's the Luffy I remember, he's gonna wanna take him down one-on-one." Nami's shoulders slumped slightly in disappointment. He was right, of course; even if she showed up, Luffy would just tell her to find somewhere safe to hide until it was all over. _Still… I… I have to know if he's safe. I have to see him, _she thought resolutely, and tightened her grip on her weapon.

"I don't care! I'm gonna find him, and he can tell me himself if he wants me to go!" she snorted haughtily. The others blinked at her in surprise, especially Sanji and Robin; they knew she was persistent, but she was also the most logical of their merry band of fools. It was unlike her to do something so glaringly reckless. Before anyone could say anything else, however, the air suddenly echoed with the voice of one Doflamingo Donquixote.

"Hello, citizens of Dressrosa, Coliseum contestants, and Straw Hat Pirates," the flamboyant man cackled in the sky. Nami whirled around, looking at the roofs of buildings to try and discern where it was coming from, but he was nowhere to be found; no doubt, he was using some kind of unique ability to project his voice throughout the kingdom. "A certain someone has entered this little kingdom of mine, whom I have a little offer for… Some of you know her _very _well," he chortled, and the crazed yet calm tone of his voice deeply unsettled Nami. _I don't like this! _"I know you can hear me, Nami." The orange-haired girl stiffened, her eyes locked on the blazing blue sky where the man's voice danced. "I have a little… Proposition. Come to my palace in Dressrosa and turn yourself over to me. Be _my _navigator… and _my _woman. In exchange, I will leave the rest of the Straw Hats in peace, and I'll even leave Dressrosa and allow the kingdom to be free…" Her heart hammered in her throat like a war drum, pulsing with the sound of his smug words, and she clenched her fists so tightly that her knuckles glared white. "I think that's pretty fair, considering how much you all have caused trouble for me. You have one hour. If you refuse, then I'll proceed to slaughter each and every one of your friends, and then I'll come for _you_." He then laughed cruelly for a minute, his maniacal giggles bouncing through the war-torn ruins of his kingdom, before the air fell silent. Nami could not tear her gaze from the sky, and she imagined him staring down at her, watching with amusement as she reeled with the hard decision she had to make.

"That bastard! I'm gonna rearrange his face!" Sanji fumed and stamped his foot, sending cracks rippling through the street in his ire. He whirled on Nami, batting his eyes. "I'll protect you from that evil man, Nami! Don't you worry!" For once, she ignored his flirtatious promises. She was too busy trembling.

_I have to turn myself over? _She thought wildly. Suddenly, it was hard to breathe, and as she placed a hand over her chest, she stumbled backward. Her legs turned to jelly, and Sanji caught her as she fell, easing her down into a sitting position. _I have to turn myself over, or he'll kill everyone else? _She had faith in them, sure, but look at how much had gone wrong so far… They were scattered throughout the kingdom, facing off against Doflamingo's dangerous lackeys, and hadn't even managed to _reach _the Warlord. Who knew what was happening now? Her crewmates could be lying somewhere, bleeding and helpless, and Nami was the only thing that kept Doflamingo from giving the kill order. She knew what he wanted- the same thing Arlong had wanted, her impeccable navigating skills, but he also wanted something of a more nefarious nature. If Nami accepted, she would be a prisoner again, but her sentence would be much worse this time.

If she refused, her friends would die.

"I have to go to the palace." Sanji, who had been kneeling next to her, jumped to his feet.

"You aren't going to give yourself up, are you, Nami? Don't let him get in your head! He might not even do what he says!" he objected.

"Maybe I can work out another deal," she offered weakly. Even as she said it, she did not herself believe it to be accurate; Doflamingo was not likely the type to be bargained with. Still, she knew for a fact that he was a man to carry out his threats, and she just had to pray that he did the same with his promises. She rose from the dust, her resolve bringing breath back to her lungs, but Sabo stepped in front of her.

"Whoa, Sanji's right. You can't trust Doflamingo. Besides, it's not over yet! Luffy could still be-"

"We don't even know where Luffy _is!" _she screeched with much more volume and anger than she meant to. The fear and anxiety had taken control of her now. She hugged the Climatact to her chest, as if that would disguise her violently quaking body. "Don't you see? Everything is falling apart," she whispered. Her friends were scattered to the wind. Doflamingo had the upper hand. He had the army; he had the power; he even had the Marines behind him. They'd had a chance, but it had been a fool's chance, and it was now gone. They had tried their best. Now, it was up to Nami to keep them from being utterly destroyed. "If there's a chance I can save everyone… If there's a chance that I can save Luffy… I have to go."

"Nami…" Sanji frowned at her, but was seemingly no longer in a mood to argue with her. She took a deep breath, steeling her nerve, and went to set off down the road again until she heard another voice echoing through the sky.

This time, it was her captain's voice.

"Namiiiiiii! Can you hear me?" he shouted. Unlike Doflamingo's voice, which seemed to be everywhere at once, she could distinctly hear his voice coming from the direction of the palace. "You don't come to this palace, ya hear? You are _my _navigator! Ain't no way in hell I'm gonna let a snake like Doflamingo have you!" As he addressed her, she felt her heart swell with happiness, and her bottom lip quivered as tears flooded her eyes. "Just trust me, okay? I'm gonna kick his ass! Ya hear that, Doflamingo? _I'm gonna kick your ass! _I'm gonna kick it _twice _as hard now! Just you wait!" His voice abruptly vanished as he had presumably riled himself up and stormed off to do just as he had asserted. Nami, left in the streets below, bowed her head as the tears streamed down her cheeks.

_Trust you, huh? Okay… I will, Luffy… I will… _She reached up with a hand to wipe her cheeks, trying to collect herself, and looked up when she felt a hand on the top of her head. She glanced up, expecting it to be Sanji, but it was actually Sabo.

"Don't worry! We'll keep you safe! After all, somebody's gotta protect Luffy's girlfriend!" he snickered. She went pink, going stiff as a board.

"Eh? I'm not his girlfriend!" she cried, making Sabo blink in confusion.

"You're not? But he made this huge deal about you, and you made such a huge deal about him."

"We're friends! Good friends! That's it!" she asserted and turned away so they could not see her bright red face. _Jeez. Me and Luffy? Talk about asinine, _she thought as she ground her teeth. Still, she could not help but think of the way her heart had warmed as he proclaimed that he would fight for her. _Luffy… I believe in you. _

_I trust you, Luffy… I'll stay safe, just like you asked. Just promise me that you'll come back safe to us… to me. _


	16. The Fated Reunion

Category: Mild Romantic Fluff, Friendship Fluff

Characters: Monkey D. Luffy, Nami, Shanks

Requested By: Scarlet (Ao3)

Nami gasped as the Thousand Sunny abruptly heaved, and she was thrown from her bed in her navigator's quarters in a tangle of sheets. Fumbling in the dark as she attempted to disentangle herself from her bedsheets and stagger over the door, she could hear the drumming of the rain against the wooden ship, and the sloshing of the waves against the wooden hull; she twisted the doorknob, and the was all it took for the wild wind whirling outside to wrench it open, nearly throwing it off its hinged and sending Nami tumbling onto her behind in the room. Rain sprayed across the dry wooden boards and soaked into the pretty rugs she had purchased for her humble home, and the papers on her desk went swirling through the air as the wind whisked them about. She crawled across the floor, unable to stand under the force of the gale, and pulled herself to her feet using the balustrade of the ship. As the lightning flashed overhead, it illuminated the sky above swirling with thick black clouds and the sea below frothing with foam as the waves writhed. The sails snapped in the wind, wrenched from their holdings in several places by its sharp fingers, and water was sloshing all over the deck as it spilled over the banisters. She moved to scream for the rest of the crew, but the words were ripped from her as the boat heaved again and she went sliding across the slick wood, landing roughly against the other side of the boat. If she had been fully standing, she no doubt would have gone overboard.

"What's goin- Whoa! What a storm!" Luffy cried as he stormed out from below decks, holding his hat to his head as the wind tried desperately to carry it away. He dipped his head back down to yell into the bowels of the ship and rouse his crew before hopping over the banister and landing next to Nami. "Nami! How are we gonna get outta here?"

"I'm working on it!" she grunted, pulling herself up once more to peer off into the horizon. It was dark, and hard to tell where the edge of the storm was; as she was attempted to calculate their escape, the boat tipped precariously once more, and she and Luffy went flailing head-over-heels towards the opposite side. Nami once again landed securely against the thick wood, but Luffy had been standing upright, sending him careening over the edge. She felt her heart stop when she heard the splash below, and without even thinking she vaulted herself over the side of the boat to dive into the water. It felt like knives pricking her skin as she met the cold water, but she swam through it nonetheless, grabbing her captain by the front of his shirt to drag him back up to the surface. He was impossibly heavy, and with the waves constantly swelling above her, she was afraid she would not make it; just as her lungs had begun to burn, her head broke the surface, and she sucked in as much air as she could before she focused on getting his head above the water. He coughed and hacked, still stubbornly holding onto his hat.

"This isn't good," he frowned as they floundered alongside the Thousand Sunny. Nami groped at the side of the boat, trying to find a hold, then screamed as a wave crashed down upon them and pushed them back beneath the surface. She fought her way back with Luffy in tow, and when her tangerine head popped above the water she was alarmed to find that the ship was now several yards away, and the current of the swells were carrying them further away by the minute. She tried screaming for her crewmates, but the wind tore the words from her throat, filling it instead with the bitter salt water. All she could do was helplessly cling to Luffy as the rocking ship grew rapidly farther away, and they were carried into the storm and into the night…

When Nami awoke, she thought for a moment that she may be dead. She was lying on her back on a beach, the gentle waves playfully lapping at her feet while the hot sand warmed her chilled body. The sky above her was brilliantly blue, the only remainder of the violent storm fluffy white clouds moseying along peacefully. The sun was bright, spilling its rays over the near-drowned navigator. However, she knew she was not dead from the pulsing in her muscles and the dryness in her throat. She blinked a few times, trying to find the will to sit herself up, and gradually became aware of the fact that she was not alone. She turned her head to see Luffy sprawled out beside her, and her arm was slung over his chest with her fingers still tightly clutching the fabric of his shirt. She instantly panicked, afraid that he might not have made it, but was quickly cooled by the cold flush of relief when she saw the rise and fall of his chest. _His sleeping habit nearly gave me a heart attack! _She thought with a slight groan, and she finally forced herself to sit up. It hurt, as her muscles were stiff from a night being soaked in cold seawater and fighting the fierce waves.

"Luffy. Wake up," she said as she leaned down to shake his shoulders. Her voice was hoarse from her raw throat, likely from swallowing a healthy amount of saltwater. She coughed, trying to clear her throat, and her voice was much stronger when she repeated the statement. He groaned as she shook him, and lazily swatted at her hand.

"I don't wanna," he muttered and rolled onto his side. _At the very least, he's not hurt, _she thought wryly before wrenching him back over and shaking him more violently. "Okay! Okay! I'm up! Leave me alone!" he cried and bolted upright, glaring at her grumpily. He was none to happy to be woken up from his nap. After a minute, his drowsiness was gone and he hopped to his feet to look out at the ocean. "Whoa! The storm carried us to this island, huh? I wonder if the Thousand Sunny can find us," he snickered. _As always, joyful despite the completely hopeless situation, _she thought and rolled her eyes. Luffy whirled on his heel, throwing sand as he marched up the beach. "C'mon, Nami, let's go find some food! I'm _starving!" _Nami could argue that they needed to try to signal their comrades somehow, but she knew that once he had food on his mind there was going to be no stopping him until he was satiated, so instead she got up and marched after him. The island was covered in a dense jungle, no doubt containing some sort of beast or another that Luffy would grapple with, and she groaned.

"Man, this sucks," she muttered as she plunged into the green with her captain. Luffy flitted about like a little bird, poking sticks into bushes and holes and overturning rocks to see what sort of critters were about. Nami was looking for more practical things, like berries and nuts, and wasn't really paying attention to him. As she walked along the path, eyes swiveling about, she gasped lightly as she bumped into his back. Luffy had planted himself right in front of her, and was staring resolutely into the jungle with his hands coiled into fists. "Luffy…?"

"There's someone with a really strong Haki headed this way. Just stay behind me." Nami's heart rate accelerated, not only from the threat of danger, but the idea that he was so intent on protecting her. Nervously, she peered over his shoulder, listening to the rustling of bushes and snapping of twigs that was rapidly approaching. Luffy went stiff, and she unconsciously grabbed onto his arm, as the stranger stepped out into the open. It was a red-haired man, with three parallel scars across his face and one of his arms missing. "Shanks!" Luffy gasped in shock. _**This **__is Red-Haired Shanks? _Nami thought, raising her eyebrows at the equally surprised pirate lord.

"Luffy? What are you doing here?"

"What are _you _doing here?" he shot back, ignoring his question completely and pointing an accusing finger at him. "I've been sailing all over the Grand Line, and you're holed up on some hole-in-the-wall island? What gives?" he whined, obviously disappointed that the man he looked up to was not out on the seas plundering and making even more of a name for himself. Shanks laughed heartily, his shoulders shaking as he regarded Luffy happily.

"I'm too old for all that tomfoolery. I prefer to just sit and watch as the younger kids go at it. Speaking of which, I've heard you've amassed yourself quite a bounty," he mused, dark eyes glittering with happiness and pride. Luffy snickered and sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. Nami could feel his body shaking, and she realized with a small gasp that she was still clinging to him. She hastily let go and scurried out from behind him, bringing herself to Shanks' attention. "Oh? Who is this?"

"This is my navigator, Nami! We got swept off our ship during a storm and wound up here," he grinned and grabbed her around the shoulders to pull her close to him. Nami blushed, suddenly put on the spot, and waved sheepishly at Luffy's idol.

"That so? Well, it looks like you've had a rough time of it, haven't you? You still haven't lost your magnet for trouble, Luffy!" he chuckled before turning around and waving for them to follow. "Come on. I'm sure you're hungry."

"_Fooooood!" _Luffy crowed and threw his hands in the air, then dove into the underbrush after the pirate captain. Nami hurried after them, clambering through the knee-high grasses and bushes and brambles. Shanks and Luffy were embroiled in fervent conversation about his adventures, and his laughter echoed through the empty forest. She had to smile despite their circumstances. _He seems so happy. _She had never seen such a bright smile on his face; it was practically blinding, and his eyes sparkled with joy as he conversed with the legendary man. Suddenly, the jungle fell away to reveal a large clearing, which was stuffed to capacity with brawny men gathered around a roaring fire, over which a large boat was roasting. Luffy's mouth dropped to the loamy forest floor when he saw the meat, and he squealed with delight, catching the attention of all the pirates gathered around.

"Look sharp, lads, I brought ya a present!" Shanks chortled, and all the men erupted into shouts and cheers when they realized just who was standing there. Nami hung back as Luffy was bombarded by the men he knew from childhood, and they clapped him on the back and dragged him into the center of the campsite to shower him in affection and ale. Nami watched with a warm smile, but part of her felt in pain. _I feel… Out of place. _She didn't know these men, or this part of Luffy's life, and that slightly hurt, though she didn't know why. She watched with a bittersweet feeling as they gushed over the up-and-coming pirate captain, until suddenly Luffy shouted at them all to be quiet.

"I wanna introduce you to my navigator! Nami, come here!" he smiled and beckoned her over, and her cheeks took on a pink haze as he suddenly addressed her. Shyly, she walked over to the pirate crew and introduced herself while Luffy sang her praises. It made her feel nice, to be appreciated, but also that Luffy was including her.

The day deepened, the sun traveling across the sky, and the two Straw Hats settled into Shanks' crew, listening to Luffy relate his various adventures. Of course, when lunchtime came, Luffy fell onto the meat with gusto, and they became more enamored with how much food he could put away. Nami watched in amusement from a log, nibbling at her own, much more human-sized piece of meat. She glanced up as Shanks suddenly stretched out beside her with a long sigh, a tankard of ale in his hand and a smile on his face as he watched Luffy interacting with his men.

"So, how did you and Luffy meet? More importantly, how'd he rope in a smart girl like you?"

"Right, he hasn't told _that _particular story yet," she mused. "It's kind of a long story."

"Well, time is something I happen to have in abundance," he smirked up at her. "Come on, tell me, I wanna know!" Listening to him childishly plead with her, she could tell where Luffy had acquired some of his quirks. She slipped down from the log to settle into the soft grass, getting herself comfortable.

"Well, it all started with Captain Buggy."

"Whoa! You guys tangled with Buggy? Man, me and him go _way _back!" he interrupted with a stupid grin. "Sorry, it's just a name I haven't heard in a while. We were apprentices on a ship together! We got into all sorts of trouble together!" Nami giggled, amused by his enthusiasm.

"That's all right." She told him about her first encounter with Luffy, how they had defeated Buggy together and moved on to recruit Sanji and Usopp. By the time she got around to her abandoning them at the Baratie to head back to Arlong, the crew had become aware that she was telling the tale and gathered around to listen. Luffy was still stuffing his face. She became a little self-conscious with the large audience, but continued nonetheless. She proceeded on, telling them of her servitude to Arlong and his ruthless hold on her village, and how Luffy and the others had fought valiantly to free her and her village. "After that, I just couldn't let him go, now could I?" she chuckled. "I knew he was going to get into all sorts of trouble, and he needed a good navigator to steer him in the right direction!"

"And a damn good navigator she is!" Luffy suddenly crowed, and his foot came down on the log right between herself and Shanks. She had been so involved in the story that she had not noticed he had stopped eating, finally, and had circled around to sit behind them and listen. "Nami's a lifesaver! Ya know, she's the one who fixes my hat when it gets torn," he beamed as he pulled it off and flipped it in his hands.

"Oh! So you're Luffy's girlfriend?" Shanks grinned, and she short-circuited for a second, bright red and sputtering.

"No! Why the hell would you ask something like that?"

"Well, that's something a girlfriend would do."

"That's something _anyone _would do!" she shot back and crossed her arms, fuming and embarrassed. It didn't help that everyone in the clearing started laughing, even Luffy, who probably didn't even get what was going on.

"Hehe, Luffy, Nami sure is cute," Shanks mused.

"Yeah, I guess she is," he responded nonchalantly and plopped his hat back on his head, and while Nami's heart stopped and all the blood rushed to her face, he looked around with a frown. "Is there any more food?"

After another hour or so, one of the scouts Shanks had posted around came to report that a ship was nearing the island. Luffy and Nami reasoned that it was their crew finally coming to collect them, and bade their farewells to their host and his merry companions. Shanks accompanied them to the beach, and Luffy suddenly stopped and pulled off his hat to hold it out to him. "You said the next time we met that I could return this." Nami stared at him in shock, completely floored that he would so willingly give up his prized possession; Shanks was equally shocked, and stared at the hat for a moment before smiling warmly.

"No. It's not time for that yet, Luffy," he asserted. Luffy blinked in confusion, but obediently replaced the hat back on top of his head. Shanks looked him up and down for a moment, then smiled warmly and plopped his hand on top of his head. "You've really grown strong, Luffy."

"Hehe!" he grinned cheekily. "I'm gonna get even stronger, until I'm the King of the Pirates!" He then looked to Nami beside him. "Though, I'm only as strong as I am because of all my friends! Right, Nami!"

"Mhmm!" she nodded encouragingly, then blinked when Shanks gave her the same treatment, ruffling her tangerine hair.

"You take care of Luffy now, you hear?" Nami nodded vigorously. Luffy was a handful, but she felt up to the task. They both turned when they heard Sanji shouting at them over the crashing of the waves. They had pulled out the rowboat to come claim them, since there was no dock of any kind. "Well, there's your cue. Next time, Luffy, I hope I can meet your whole crew!" he smiled to his young protégé.

"Me too! You'll really like 'em!" he snickered. Shanks gave them a dip of his head before whirling about, his black cloak billowing in the sea breeze as he plunged back into the jungle. As he vanished, Luffy's shoulders slumped slightly. "Man… I was hoping that Shanks could meet everybody. I've been looking forward to seeing him again for so long, and I didn't even give the hat back," he moped.

"You'll see each other again! Next time, you'll be Pirate King!" she told him encouragingly, and he turned to grin at her.

"Hehe! You're right, Nami!" he smiled and then whipped about to shout at Sanji. "Row faster, slow poke! I'm hungry!" Nami chuckled as Sanji yelled back some curse. _Well, I guess everything turned out all right after all, _she thought as she gazed out at the glittering waves and the ship beyond. It was the ship that bore them all toward the future, to grand adventures laced with triumphs and struggles, to things unknown. Though it was frightening, it was exciting, too. She looked out of the corner of her eyes at Luffy, who was waving and grinning.

_I can face a lot of things now, thanks to you. You make me brave. You make me strong… _she thought with a small smile.

_I'm not scared of the future, because I know you'll be by my side… _


	17. War-Torn

Category: Mild Romantic Fluff

Characters: Nami and Shanks

Requested By: Lee03na

Nami clutched her Climatact tightly in her hand as she peered over the concrete edge of the platform, her hazel eyes wide as they swept over the utter carnage that had erupted at the site the Marines had chosen for Portgas D. Ace's televised execution. Pirate crews of Whitebeard's alliance clashed feverishly with the Marine soldiers, and the iron stench of blood mingled with blood-curdling screams in the air. Nami's hands quivered slightly as the fear took hold of her, and she considered scurrying back to her little boat and sailing all the way back to Weatheria where she had come from. _No, _she asserted, stilling her shaking body as she steeled her nerve. _Luffy is in there! I have to help him! _

After they had been separated on the Shabody Archipelago, Nami had landed on an island far away, a little settlement called Weatheria that studied weather patterns, much like herself. She had learned of Ace's impending execution via the newspapers, and knew that once Luffy caught wind of it, he would storm in for the rescue. Nami knew not if he was alone or had acquired himself some allies; she only knew that he was here, somewhere in the war-torn pavilion- and he likely needed Nami's help. With a grunt, she vaulted herself over the edge of the concrete and dove into the fray.

Most of the pirates and Marines were too busy grappling with each other to notice the petite navigator picking her way through the battle. She skirted her way through the skirmishes, stepping over the bodies strewn about as she craned her head, searching for her captain's signature straw hat. There was so much activity, the flashing of steel against steel, explosions from cannonballs and the sound of gunfire, yells and screams and writhing bodies, that it was difficult for Nami to make sense of it all. Truthfully, there was little chance she would find him at all amongst the chaos, and she considered once more heading back for her boat to wait it out.

That is, until she heard Luffy wailing.

It was the most heartbreaking sound that she had ever heard, rising above the din of battle to complete the dismal symphony. She had _never _heard such a sound from her captain, and she knew instantly that something had to be _very _wrong. As he continue to scream in agony, Nami raced toward the sound, shoving her way through the endless sea of people until she stumbled out into the open. There, Luffy was kneeling over the dead body of his brother, while a Marine official- the seeming killer- laughed at his agony. Abruptly, Luffy's voice died, and Nami gasped when he fell backward with his eyes rolled back into his head. The pain had been too much and he had lost consciousness.

"What a noble sacrifice," the military man tutted as he prodded Ace in the back with the toe of his boot. His face was disfigured into a grotesque sneer, and he pulled of his hat to run a hand through his dark hair while he chomped on his cigar. "Now, time to end you, Straw Hat Luffy!" His arms suddenly burst with light, coating themselves with thick lava, and he raised his arm behind his hand to strike. With speed she did not know she possessed, Nami rushed forward to grab Luffy by the back of his shirt, pulling him into her and rolling away. Nami could feel the heat sear across her back as the admiral's fist collided with the concrete, melting it into a puddle, but she ignored the slight burn to scramble to her feet, panting as she held the unconscious boy to her chest with her Climatact held out protectively in front of her. Nami was no fool; she knew she was no match for this man, but she simply could not allow Luffy to die. The man sniffed as he pulled his lava-clad fist from the ground, shaking off half-melted clumps of stone, and turned to her with disdain. "Well, well, it's my lucky day. I get the Straw Hat _and _his navigator."

"Stay back!" she barked, though her voice lacked the bite it needed. It was small, weak, shaky. The man only laughed at her, his shoulders shaking as he guffawed. "I mean it!" She took a few wary steps backwards, her eyes frantically searching the surrounding area for _some _sort of escape route, for _someone _who would help her; but everyone else was too embroiled in their own battles, and the girl was on her own. She adjusted Luffy in her grasp, listening to him wheeze. He was still crying, even in his sleep. Nami couldn't keep her own tears from flooding her eyes. _Why did everything have to turn out this way? Ace is… And Luffy and I…! _

"Just give it up, girl. Surrender, and I'll make sure you don't suffer," the admiral huffed, and the lava hissed as he curled his hand into a fist. Nami did the only thing that she thought she could do; she turned her body, shielding Luffy's with her own, hoping beyond hope that a miracle was around the corner. _Luffy! I'm so sorry! _She thought as she felt the air hissing with heat as the admiral bore down on her with the intent to kill, but the searing pain never came; Nami gasped as she was suddenly grabbed and lurched backwards, out of harm's way. She glanced up to see that a gigantic fishman had pulled her and her captain to safety, within the riotous battlefield where the admiral could not see them.

"Who are you?" she cried in confusion.

"I am Luffy's friend, Jinbe. Give him to me! I can get him out of here!" Nami didn't know the stranger, but the fact that he had bothered to save them was good enough for her to comply. She gently handed over the unconscious Luffy, watching miserably as the blue fishman bundled her friend into his arms and vanished into the crowd. _Be safe, Luffy. We'll meet again soon, _she thought, her bottom lip quivering. It was all so sad, everything around her, and it was almost too much to take; however, Nami did not have the time to dwell on that. She whipped about when she heard shouts, finding that the admiral was forcing his way across the carnage toward her. Luffy was safe now, but she was still very much in danger. As she saw the admiral's hat peeking over the heads of the various pirates and soldiers, Nami took off into the battlefield, ducking swinging swords and fists as she fled. Many times she would have to screech to a halt and race off in another direction, finding her path blocked by too feverish a scuffle or a towering block of debris. It was chaos, pure chaos, and soon she found herself dissolving into it; her heart pounded like a drum inside of her, a war drum that beat to the tune of the symphony of screams around her. She slipped in thick puddles of blood across the ground, and it splashed up her legs, stinking of iron and death. The bodies were _everywhere, _staring at her with glassy eyes. It was too much, too much. Suddenly, she collapsed with a sob, clamping her hands over her ears, but she could still hear the screaming, the pain, the fear. _Why? Why is this happening? _She thought wildly. Ace was dead, Luffy was gone; it was a bloodbath, a useless bloodbath. Had all honor expired? It was just malice, bloodlust, hatred, and Nami could stand it no longer.

"_Stop it!" _A scream unlike anything she had ever borne erupted from her, rippling across the crowd and freezing them in their tracks with its volume and emotive force. Nami wasn't sure when she started crying, but the tears flowed in thick rivers down her cheeks, and her chest heaved as she fought for breath. "That's enough! No more!" she begged them as she wrapped her arms around herself, shivering. Though it was silent now, she could still hear the screaming echoing in her mind, the pain, the hurt, the fear. "No more," she whimpered, more to herself now. They were all staring at her, in shock and confusion. Who was this little girl who had stopped them short? Nami looked up, looked all of them in the eyes, and silently pleaded for them to end this war, this useless war that accomplished nothing. They stared back, war-torn, weary…

"Have you never seen war, little girl?" Nami gasped at the voice in front of her, and sat on her knees on the ground, frozen, as the admiral pushed his way out of the crowd. "What's the matter? Is it too much for you?" he mocked with a disdainful sniff. Nami quivered before him. The bloodlust was heavy in his eyes, and she knew that her plea would go unheard, and the battle would begin again, and the screaming, and the bleeding, and the _dying._ "You are a poor excuse for a pirate. I almost feel sorry for you," he tutted, and she jumped as he suddenly whipped out his sword and pointed it directly at her throat. The sharp point rested against her soft flesh, rigid; he had not a tremor in his hand as he prepared to slay the defenseless girl. "This world is not for soft people like you." Nami's eyes flashed with the light as he pulled the sword back, the sunlight streaming across its silver surface. _I'm going to die. _That was okay. She had come here what she came to do. She saved Luffy, and that was enough. _I wish, though… _

_I wish I had been able to see him become Pirate King. _

The air whistled with the ringing of steel, and Nami watched as the sword cut the wind, heading straight for her. Before it could strike her, though, it crashed into another sword above her head, with enough sparks to send sparks raining down on her. She gasped, looking up, to see a red-haired man standing behind her, sword in hand and a smirk on his face.

"That's quite enough, Akainu. I didn't know the Marines were in the business of slaughtering little girls," he tutted, but despite his playful tone, his eyes were as hard as the iron he held in his hand.

"It's Shanks," someone whispered in the crowd. _Shanks? __**The **__Red-Haired Shanks? _She thought wildly. That was the last person she had expected to come to her rescue.

"This _little girl _happens to be a ruthless pirate. She's Straw Hat Luffy's navigator. I am doing my job as a Marine. By killing this pirate, I make the seas a safer place," Akainu shrugged. Nami looked at him in incredulity. _**Ruthless? **__I'm sitting here, in a puddle of tears and virtually unarmed, and you call me __**ruthless? **_That struck a chord in her, and suddenly she found her voice again.

"You're a joke!" she shrieked angrily. "How _dare _you pretend to be some kind of savior! You're not in the business to save _anybody!" _she yelled. Her voice carried across the battlefield, thick with emotion. "Where were the Marines when Arlong took my island captive, killed my mother, and held me and my family captive for _eight years? __**Eight years! **_You swear to protect the people, yet you turn a blind eye to _ruthless _pirates like him! And what about all your soldiers?" For effect, Nami gestured around the battlefield, at all the discarded bodies and those in the process of dying. "They're _dying! _And for what? You've done what you came here to do! Ace is _dead!" _she shrieked. She turned her eyes on Akainu, glaring. "You pretend to have honor, yet you have _none! _You think nothing of killing a boy broken by grief, or a girl begging for the bloodshed to end!" She hung her head, shaking. "Luffy has more honor than all of you put together! Luffy is the one who saved my village, and he's been saving all the people you've abandoned! Luffy would _never _hurt anyone who couldn't fight anymore, or someone who was begging for peace! Pirates? Marines? What's the difference? Shouldn't we focus more on being _human? _Fighting for our family, our friends, for what's _right? _Tell me now, what are all of you fighting for right now?" Silence hung in the air after her question, and she sniffed. "That's what I thought. It's time for this war to end," she whispered, her shoulders sagging. She was suddenly exhausted, from the adrenaline and emotion.

"She doesn't seen very ruthless to me, Akainu," Shanks snorted, pulling back his sword. Nami noticed that he still held it in front of her, like a barrier to protect her should the admiral still attempt to claim her life. "She's right. Look around you. Don't you think you've spilled enough blood today?" he asked with narrowed eyes. "There is nothing else to accomplish here." The admiral gazed at him levelly, perhaps weighing the risks; then, he whipped about, his white cloak billowing in the wind.

"Very well. The war at Marineford is over. Let us go our separate ways in peace… For now." With that, he gathered his marines, and headed for their ships with the dead and dying in tow. Nami exhaled deeply in relief, finally realizing that she had been quivering the entire time. In anger, in fear- she did not know. Perhaps both. She stared at the ground, which was rust-colored with drying blood, and wondered what would happen now. _Luffy was really hurt… I don't know where Jinbe took him. I don't know where to go now… _she thought miserably. She heard clothing shift beside her, and she glanced out of the corner of her eyes as Shanks knelt down beside her and plopped a hand on the top of her head, gently ruffling her tangerine hair.

"That was very brave of you. What's your name?"

"N-Nami," she answered with a slight sniff, reaching up to rub the tears from her eyes. The danger was over, but yet she could not force the tears to stop. "I'm Luffy's navigator."

"Yes, so Akainu said. Where is Luffy now?"

"He was taken away from Marineford. Somewhere safe." She glanced out into the battlefield, which had thinned now. She could see across the pavilion where Ace's body still lay. Shanks followed her gaze, narrowing his eyes when they fell upon the body, and sighed slightly.

"Too many have died today," he muttered before standing up and sheathing his sword. "All right, men, you know what to do." Shanks' crew shouted acknowledgement before heading off in the direction of the deceased pirate lieutenant, but also in another; Nami peered around them to see yet another dead man, with a beard white like snow; no doubt, it was the captain that Ace so revered, Captain Whitebeard. "We're going to give them a proper burial. It's the least they deserve. They were good men," Shanks told her, his empty sleeve fluttering as a breeze swept across the pavilion, littered with discarded weapons and crumbled concrete. Nami glanced up at him.

"May I come with you? I… I want to be there for Ace, in Luffy's stead," she asked. He looked surprised for a moment, then smiled warmly and nodded in approval. Nami, finally finding that her strength had returned, stood up and followed the older pirate crew over to Ace's body. Someone was softly crying over it; when she got closer, she recognized him as Garp, the Marine whom Luffy regarded as a grandfather. _That's right. Ace was his family too. _She watched respectfully for a moment as the old man collected himself, and when he finally straightened up, his eyes fell on her.

"Hmmph. So Luffy got away, did he?" he grunted. Nami nodded, and he exhaled deeply and turned his back. "Good… That's good. This was something he should have never had to see," he murmured. _It must be hard, being a Marine and the people close to you being your sworn enemies… His heart must be torn apart. _

"Mr. Garp," she said as he moved to walk away. "I promise, I'll take care of Luffy. You can count on me." The old man turned back to her, and she could see that he was on the verge of tears again. He reached out and clapped his large hand on her shoulder with a small smile.

"Mm. I'll hold you to that," he said, and then grinned slightly. "And don't call me 'Mister'! 'Grandpa' is just fine!" he laughed before releasing her and whirling about to be on his way. Nami blinked, mildly surprised, and could say nothing as he walked off across the pavilion to join his comrades at their ships. Soon enough, Nami was en route as well, accompanying Shanks and his crew to put Ace and Whitebeard to rest like they deserved. She stood at the edge of the boat, her hands on the railing as she gazed at the rapidly retreating structure of Marineford. Though it was now over, and things had not turned out as badly as they could have, Nami could not help but be guilt-ridden. She sighed deeply, as she had been for several minutes now, and gazed sadly out at the sloshing waves.

"It pains me to see such a sad expression on a young girl's face." Nami glanced over her shoulder to see Shanks standing there, while his crew mulled about but were obviously watching out of the corners of her eyes. Nami could keep it to herself, but for some reason she felt like she could trust Shanks and his men with her feelings.

"I just wonder… If I had gotten there sooner, could all of this have been prevented?" she admitted quietly. She turned to face him, holding her hands behind her back as she hung her head so he could not see the tears brimming in her eyes. It seemed she still had tears left to shed. "Luffy… I've never seen him like that. It was… the most heartbreaking thing…" She could still hear him, screaming to the point that he lost consciousness. "I can't imagine how much pain he was in, watching Ace die right in front of him… He loved Ace so much… And he died to save him. Luffy… Luffy must feel so guilty, and so weak… And none of us can even be there for him. I just… I just wish I could have _done _something, because seeing him like that… It was so awful." The tears were rolling down her cheeks now and splashing down onto the wooden surface of the boat. When she lifted her head, Shanks was gazing at her sadly, while the rest of the men were staring.

"You just gonna sit there and let her cry like that? Cheer her up, men!" Someone suddenly shouted, and Nami jumped as they all began scrambling across the boat, trying to find pretty things for her and running over to give her kind words. It was clear that they were not used to having a woman on board, and the simple act of them trying so hard to make her happy cheered her up a little. She could not help but smile as they gathered around her to ease her mind, ensuring that it wasn't her fault and she did the best she could. After it got excessive, Shanks ran them off to go about their duties on the ship, tossing his red hair and looking at her apologetically.

"Sorry about them. They aren't used to such a cute girl being around."

"It's okay," she laughed. "It's almost like I have a boat full of dads. I kinda know now why Luffy is so attached to you all." Shanks smiled at that, and crossed the deck to lean against the railing beside her, his one hand resting on the smooth finished wood. "… They are right, though. You did the best you could. Luffy isn't going to blame you for what happened."

"I know."

"So what will you do? Luffy isn't going to take this quietly," he asked her with a curious expression. Nami crossed her arms, smiling slightly.

"No. He'll probably do something drastic, like declare war on the government," she mused. "But he's going to want to get stronger… Much stronger. And that means I have to get stronger, too. After the burial, I'm going to head back to Weatheria. Whenever Luffy is ready for us, we'll meet again at Shabody Archipelago," she decided. She didn't know when that would be, but she knew the day would come. The crew was scattered to the four winds, but Luffy would find a way to let them know.

In a world torn apart by war, they would find a way to keep going- and Nami was going to support her captain, no matter what.

"Hehe. You like Luffy a lot, don't you?" Shanks snickered, and she rounded on him with pink cheeks.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing~" he chimed and went strolling off across the deck, still laughing. Nami ran after him, bleating protests like a little lamb, but he must have thought her cute and didn't take her seriously, as he kept laughing at her.

"Hey! I'm talking to you! _Shanks!" _

"If you don't get it, I can't help you!"

"This isn't _funny!" _

"On the contrary, it's quite funny."

After a while, Nami abandoned the effort and stomped back to her spot to gaze at the ocean. She couldn't see Marineford anymore, only the gently rolling waves of the sea. _Luffy… Wherever you are now, I hope you're safe… And I hope you're going to be okay, _she thought as she rested her cheek in her hand. _I'm going to get stronger. _

_Next time, things won't go this way. Next time, I'll be there for you. _

_You won't fight this war alone. _


	18. A Bond of Trust Part II

Category: Romantic Fluff

Characters: Luffy, Nami, and Sabo

Requested By: YonaWon (Ao3)

Nami's head was tilted slightly to the side as she gazed down at the sleeping Luffy, whose head was currently propped in her lap. It was quite amazing how peacefully he could sleep after such a harrowing battle, and though she had witnessed it many times, Nami could still not help but be surprised. Though he was wrapped head-to-toe in thick, white bandages, concealing deep wounds as well as countless scratches, he was breathing deeply and loudly, a bit of drool dripping from his open mouth. _Once the battle is done, he doesn't have a care in the world. _Nami smiled gently and reached down to softly run her fingers through his hair; although they had cleaned his body, Luffy's hair was still matted with dried blood and sweat, clumping thickly together until Nami's slim fingers teased the strands apart. _He fought hard. _

He fought hard for_ her. _She could still hear his voice ringing in the brilliant blue sky, ensuring that he would protect her from the villainous Doflamingo. He had succeeded in that, after an intense struggle on all their parts. Now they were currently hiding in a safe house. They were waiting for their battered companions to recover before heading onward to Zou to rejoin the rest of their crew. As she continued to rhythmically stroke his messy hair, her smile softened. _Thank you, Luffy. _

Nami glanced up as the door to the small structure opened, and Sabo walked in, pulling off his top hat to expose his fluffy, wavy blonde hair. A ring of greetings went around the room as the renegade strolled across the wooden floorboards with a cheerful smile.

"Did you bring any booze?" Zoro yawned, cracking his one usable eye open to smirk at him.

"Sorry. No alcohol," Sabo chuckled, and the bitter swordsman grumbled under his breath before rolling over and drifting back off to sleep to continue nursing his wounds. The scarred but happy man looked to his sleeping younger brother, then raised his eyebrows when he realized his head was cradled into Nami's thighs while the navigator continuously stroked his hair. "Does he do this all the time?" he sputtered and pointed at the unconscious captain.

"Yeah, he always sleeps for a long time after he fights," Nami answered simply.

"N-no, I meant like_ that!_" Nami then realized that he was referring to the _way _that he was sleeping. Nami supposed that it might be alarming to find such an immensely powerful man like Luffy passed out in the lap of a woman. Now that _she_ thought about it, it was a pretty compromising position for herself, too. A faint haze of rosy pink blossomed upon her cheeks, but she could not bring herself to move him. He looked so peaceful, lying there pillowed by her lap._ It doesn't mean anything. I just want him to be comfortable, _she thought stubbornly.

"He needed a pillow," she mumbled. Sabo looked highly uncomfortable with the situation but squatted down beside the sleeping captain anyway, looking him over with an approving grin.

"Do you want us to wake him up?" Robin offered.

"No… I just wanted to see how he was doing." Sabo tilted his head to the side slightly, his eyes continuing to search him over. "He's grown strong… He really could do it- be King of the Pirates."

"Of course he will! We're gonna make sure of it!" Sanji snapped at him, making Sabo grin.

"I'm glad Luffy has such good friends," he beamed and then looked at Nami with a knowing smile, "and such a good girlfriend, too!" Nami's face immediately blazed fiery red, and her fingers halted in the middle of Luffy's hair. She glared at him with puffed-out cheeks.

"He's not my boyfriend!" _Why does he keep saying that? _She thought wildly as her blush painted her face from her ears to her neck.

"I dunno, Nami. You two look pretty friendly to me," Zoro sneered at her, his eye twinkling with amusement. Nami's blush spread down to her trembling fingers still wound in Luffy's matted, thick hair.

"Shut up and go back to sleep, Zoro!" She hissed and snapped her head around to face him.

"Yeah, Zoro!" Sanji barked at the swordsman. "You love_ me_, right, Nami, dear?" He then swooned dramatically, clasping his hands together and gazing at the navigator as hearts practically danced in his eyes.

"I'm not in love with anybody!" she insisted. _Is no one listening to me?! _Nami's entire body was red now, burning like a flame. _I'm so embarrassed! _All she wanted to do was care for her captain. Why did everybody have to make fun of her for it? She looked down at him, sleeping so peacefully, as she bit down on her lip. She didn't feel anything like that for her captain… right?

"All right, all right, if you say so!" Sabo chuckled, smirking widely as Nami continued to pout. They stopped teasing her, at least. Suddenly, Luffy mumbled loudly in his sleep, causing them all to glance at the captain.

"Nami…" he murmured, his face screwing up slightly as he whispered her name. Nami felt her heart somersault in her chest, and she curled her fingers into his hair by reflex._ Is he dreaming about me? _Something about that fact sent her heart fluttering like a fledgling bird, and she felt _happy_ about it. Though she didn't realize it, a soft smile was forming on her lips, and she leaned down slightly over him. "Nami… I won't let him have you…" _Ah. He's dreaming about Doflamingo. _He had been so angry at the Warlord's bold claims on her, his intent to make her his in more ways than one_. "Just trust me, okay?"_ Nami had, and he had delivered. "I won't let you go… You're mine…" he mumbled, his expression turning more desperate_. I'm… his? _Nami's mind couldn't wrap around the utterance, but her heart could, as it began to beat furiously within her ribcage. Before she could even think of reacting, Luffy's eyes snapped open to stare directly up at her, bright and lucid. Nami froze as her eyes locked with his, leaving her helpless to his next action.

He raised his bandaged hand to slide it to the back of her head, gliding his fingers into her waves of tangerine hair- not unlike _her_ fingers, still entwined with his matted locks; then, with a slight jerk, he pulled Nami's face down to his so that he could press his mouth to hers. It was not just a simple, short kiss, either; he moved his mouth against hers, drawing her lips into the current for several seconds and bringing her eyes closed. Nami's heart beat like a drum alongside the singing of her soul as a feeling she had never known burst inside of her. Nami wasn't sure if she should call it happiness, affection, or even something as profound as love; nevertheless, she savored it. After about ten seconds, Luffy pulled back slightly, their lips still barely brushing. Nami's eyelashes fluttered open to see Luffy smiling gently up at her, his eyelids already drifting closed as sleep began to claim him once more. "You're mine, understand?" he murmured again, her lips tingling with the sensation of his own drifting over hers.

"Yes, Luffy." The answer came out of her effortlessly, naturally, like she had known that all along. His smile widened at that, and then his head flopped back. His eyes shut as he fell once more back into deep sleep. As his hand slid through the strands of her hair, falling back to the floor, she caught it without thinking. _I understand. _The bandages felt rough against the soft skin of her palm; beneath those bandages were wounds that he had earned fighting for _her_. It was then that Nami really realized what that meant.

It took a few seconds for the euphoria to wear off, and when it did, she comprehended that she had kissed Luffy in front of _everyone. _Her head snapped up, and she covered her mouth with her hand, and all hell broke loose.

"Wake him back up! I'm gonna kick his ass! How dare he kiss Nami!" Sanji fumed, jumping up to point angrily at the snoozing captain while he stomped his foot thunderously against the wooden floor. He then released a strangled gasp and grabbed his side, where a stitch had busted to spill bright red blood across his bandages. He flopped down next to Zoro, who was cackling.

"Damn! I never would've expected that in a million years! What a show!" he howled and slapped his leg, until his laugh abruptly switched to pained groans as he ended up in the same situation as their cook.

"Stop moving around like that, dammit, now I have to fix your bandages!" Law growled. He could care less about the kiss, thankfully. Robin was just smirking, like she had expected something like that to happen sooner or later.

"I knew it! Nami is Luffy's girlfriend!" Sabo beamed with delight. Nami buried her red face into her hands, and though she was thoroughly embarrassed, she could not help but smile.

_Luffy… I guess I do feel something for you, after all. _Her heart was still like a cloud, floating in the air on a wind of budding love. Nami wasn't sure what was going to happen now, or if Luffy would even remember they had kissed when he awoke- but to Nami, that didn't matter. She knew now.

_I'll trust in these feelings, too- yours and mine. I know they'll lead to something beautiful on the horizon… _

"You gonna give him a goodnight kiss every time now, Nami?"

"Shaddup, kelp-head, or I'll stomp you into a pancake! Nami, dear, you didn't_ really _enjoy that kiss, did you?"

"Nami, take good care of Luffy, okay? 3"

If she could survive the incessant teasing, of course.


	19. Feverish

Category: Mild Romantic Fluff

Characters: Monkey D. Luffy, Nami, and Red-Haired Shanks

Requested By: Scarlet (Ao3)

Nami groaned heavily as she tapped the end of her pen repeatedly against the sleek wooden surface of the bar counter, her irritated gaze fixed on the dismal calculations of the crew's financial accounts. She sipped at her beverage as she quickly ran over the sums in her head, validating that they were indeed quite miserable excuses for pirates. _We're going to be flat broke at this rate! _She thought sourly and flipped the accounting book shut before downing the remainder of her drink. She motioned for the bartender to refill her, then laid her head down against the smooth varnished wood, enjoying the coolness against her forehead, which was currently hot to the touch.

Due to the stress of the entire Big Mom disaster, Nami had developed a small fever from exhaustion, or so Chopper had said. The ship was lacking in provisions, and so they had stopped on a small island to restock; though the little reindeer had been adamant she remain on the ship under strict bedrest, Nami had been in no mood to laze about in bed, and so she had compromised with the doctor for a change in locale. He had permitted her to stay in a bar near the docks while the rest of the crew went about their business, and to basically abstain from doing anything too strenuous. Nami was sure that the fever was nothing to worry about, but to spare herself the annoyance of sending Chopper into a meltdown she had done as bid, even going as far as to order a water from the bar rather than alcohol. _Though I could use some booze after running these numbers, _she thought bitterly. The idea that they were all out spending _more _money certainly didn't improve her mood.

"I had better figure out a budget before these fools make us bankrupt. Imagine a broke Pirate King," she snorted and flipped open the accounting book again, scribbling numbers across the lined pages with a growing satisfied smile. She became so absorbed in her work that she momentarily forgot her exhausted, vulnerable state, and also failed to notice when a large group of raucous, rowdy men came pouring into the bar to settle themselves at the available tables and cram themselves at the few seats remaining on the bar. Nami only glanced out of the corners of her eyes as one of them settled into the open stool next to her; he was a red-haired man, with three parallel scars across his eye and one of his arms missing, leaving a flopping black sleeve. He was an attractive man, not that Nami really cared. When he cast her a sidelong glance and smirked at her, she blushed faintly and returned to her calculations. She didn't want to give the impression that she was interested, after all. The men continued to laugh heartily and talk loudly as they guzzled down ale while the petite navigator dutifully went about her work.

"Namiiiiii!" a squeaky voice called within the cacophony, and Nami turned around to see tiny little Chopper scampering through the many pairs of legs traversing the beer-soaked floor, panting heavily while toting a little vial in his front hooves. After a tough time navigating the constantly shifting maze, he appeared at her feet wheezing loudly. "Your medicine!" he puffed and held up the vial for her to take. "This should help bring down the fever." He clambered up into the stool on the other side of her when a rather drunk man vacated his seat to stumble to the bathroom, his little back legs flailing as he struggled to pull himself onto the little stool. Once he did, he plopped down with a contented sigh. It was then that he noticed the sums she was currently working. "Nami! You shouldn't be working right now!"

"Oh, Chopper, I'm fine," she tutted as she unscrewed the cap of the vial and downed it in one go, screwing up her face at its bitter taste. "How long will this take to work?" she asked and passed the empty vial back to the concerned reindeer, who tucked it into his pouch for safekeeping.

"About thirty minutes," he answered, then frowned deeply at her. Though he was trying to seem stern, with his puffed-out cheeks and narrowed eyebrows over his big, bright eyes, he looked more cute than anything. "Nami, you really need to take it easy. You remember the last time you had a fever, right? When we first met? That was really serious! Plus, Luffy is worried about you, you know! Imagine what it would be like if you collapsed!"

Nami was about to respond that_ that_ particular fever had been the result of being bitten by a disease-carrying bug and she doubted that it was that serious, but when he mentioned her captain worrying over her, all words died in her throat. _He's worried about me…? _For some reason, that warmed her heart. She looked back down at her calculations, then slowly closed the thin book. She didn't want to give her captain cause to worry, after all…

The hair on the back of her neck began to tingle, and she glanced out of the corners of her eyes again to see the red-haired man gazing intently at her. Thinking he may be working up the courage to flirt with her, she hastily returned her attention to their resident doctor. It was then that she realized just how tired she was; working on the sums had taken more out of her than she had realized. She slumped against the wood, panting slightly, and raised a hand to her face. She was startled to find a thin sheen of sweat coating her skin, and the heat radiating from her had intensified. "Nami!" Chopper squeaked and shuffled forward to feel her forehead. "You're burning up! We need to get you back to the ship. You need rest!" he insisted. Nami was so tired that she was inclined to agree. She nodded wearily and set a few bills on the bar and turned in her seat to stand up, but froze when a familiar cackle echoed through the already noisy bar.

"Well, well, well! What do we have here?" Nami's mouth almost dropped open when she saw who had sidled into the door. _Zappa?! What is __**he**__ doing here? _Nami had encountered the silver-haired marine before they had landed in Big Mom's country, when they had infiltrated the Marine base to acquire much-needed provisions. The crazy man had fallen in love with Nami on sight and harassed her thoroughly in her time at the base, and Nami had been glad to leave him behind. She would have never dreamed that she would see him again, yet here he was, sneering at her like the first time they had met. "Nami! It must be fate for us to meet again!" he announced and strode right over to her, grabbing her by the hands and bringing his face close. Nami recoiled visibly, turning her face and scowling. "Marry me!"

"In your dreams, creep!" she spat and shoved him violently away. This was a bad idea on her part, considering her weakened state, and the swift action sent a cold rush flushing through her body. Her mind went fuzzy and her vision fogged as she danced dangerously close to unconsciousness, and she clutched the edge of the bar for support as her legs gave out beneath her. She was barely away of Chopper springing off the chair and running out the bar screaming, "I gotta go get Luffy!" As she reeled, her breath coming in ragged gasps while she struggled to stay awake, Zappa advanced on her again.

"That's not ladylike," he tutted, and firmly grabbed her wrists. She gasped in pain as his fingers curled around her small wrists, practically crunching the bone beneath, and she could not resist in her feeble state. As his evil grin widened, Nami feared the worst, until Zappa let out a strangled cry. The sharp edge of a sword had been placed against his throat.

"If I didn't know any better, I would say the young lady isn't the least bit interested," purred the handsome, scarred stranger as he turned the blade against Zappa's neck, causing a trickle of blood to appear and stream down to stain his white Marine uniform. The Marine, though in a dangerous position, did not quail; instead, he jumped back and drew his own silver blade. Immediately the bar burst with hostility, as every member of the rowdy crew drew blades and guns to point them threatening at the daring Marine. "That was rather bold of you," he snorted before turning to Nami, who was still clinging to the bar and light-headed. "Miss, are you all right? You're very pale."

"I feel faint," she stammered, and the taller man gently took her elbow to support her while her legs could not. Begrudgingly, Zappa sheathed his sword, and only after the man waved his hand dismissively did his underlings put away their weapons and return to their drinking. Conversation resumed, but it was quieter now; many pairs of eyes still rested on the angry Marine, who was still staring adamantly at the ill navigator. Nami was afraid he would make yet another pass at her, with the feral look in his eyes, until the door to the bar was literally kicked off of its hinges.

"Oi! You!" Luffy shouted, his face bright red with pure fury, and pointed at Zappa. "Who the hell do you think you are? Don't you _ever _touch my navigator again!" he snapped. Nami was a bit startled at the sheer amount of rage her captain was exuding; it was rolling off him in waves, not unlike the intense fever gripping her body, and seeing him that angry for_ her _made her feel a bit faint for an entirely different reason. With a grunt, he extended his hand across the bar to wind it firmly around her waist, pulling her through the crowd of people. She landed against his chest, red-faced and breathless, and Luffy just glared at Zappa with murderous hate. "Nami is mine, got it?" Nami had never heard him refer to her in such a way, and it made her heart race for some reason. _What is this feeling_? All the excitement certainly didn't help her poor condition, and she slumped against him as another wave of dizziness washed over her; her head landed against his chest, and in her delirium she wondered if it had always been that muscular. _It feels nice… _As she swooned, Luffy became aware of her weakened state and glanced down at her.

All the anger had vanished. He was smiling kindly at her, something soft hiding in the edge of his expression that she could not place. He gently reached up to sweep a strand of her orange hair from her flushed, clammy face, and in his eyes she could see genuine concern. "Nami, you work too hard. I hate to see you this way," he sighed quietly. The way he was speaking to her was so unlike him, gentle and loving, lacking all the harsh bite he had used on Zappa only moments ago. It wasn't the Luffy she knew, boisterous and loud, but for some reason she didn't mind. Actually, it made her feel special, that she was the only one he had talked to in such a way. That she was the only one he cared so deeply for. He put a hand on her forehead, feeling the volcanic heat pouring off her skin. "You're really sick."

"I'm sorry. I don't mean to make you worry." He gave her a lop-sided smile, his hand drifting down to cup her cheek. If she were in a normal state of mind, she would have recognized the touch as blatantly affectionate, but trapped in the thrall of the fever she was more concerned with how nice his cool hand felt against her burning flesh.

"Nah. It's my job to worry about you," he smiled down at her. Nami smiled weakly back, her heart singing with happiness. Why was she so happy? She wasn't really sure, but she knew that Luffy was making her feel this way somehow. _He came to make sure I was okay… _

"Are you finished?" Zappa spat. He had regained some of his courage and drawn his sword, grimacing with disgust as he watched Luffy be so intimate with the object of his affections. "I want Nami to marry me! I'll fight you for her, Straw Hat!" He snapped. Luffy clenched his teeth, the anger resurging, and pulled off his signature Straw Hat to set it on Nami's head. He turned to carefully set her in a sitting position against the wall, making sure as she was as comfortable as could be.

"Sit tight and watch my hat for me. Chopper is gonna get you patched up," he ordered before turning back to Zappa and rolling his shoulders. "Normally I would tell a pest like you to beat it, but you've really pissed me off!" he snapped. The red-haired man and his crew made no move to interfere, perhaps recognizing that Luffy's pride would prevent it anyway. As the two sprang at each other and began to tear apart the bar in their little spat, flinging tables and chairs and smashing glasses, Nami hung her head and focused on keeping herself awake. She was so tired, but Luffy was fighting for her, so the least she could do was stay awake. Chopper, who had been huddled in the doorway, scampered over to her now that the situation was less precarious for him and set about applying a cool rag to her forehead and giving her another dose of the medication in an attempt to lower her fever.

By the time Nami's fever had receded enough for her senses to return, Zappa was lying in the street among the shattered pieces of the bar wall covered head-to-toe in bruises and bleeding from a busted nose. She vaguely heard Luffy apologize to the bar owner and promise to pay for the damage, to which Nami smirked. _So much for that budget. _She raised her head when Luffy returned to her side, and he leaned down with a small huff to pluck the straw hat from her head and place it back on his own. "Thanks," he grinned, and then plopped down beside her. He barely had a scratch on him. It had been child's play for him to handle Zappa. "Man, I could go for some meat right now." That was to be expected of Luffy, and she giggled. Then, he did something totally unexpected- he wrapped his arm firmly around his shoulders and pulled her close to him, looking at her worriedly. "Are you better now, Nami?"

"Yes, much better." Though she was still feverish, she was of more sound mind. Though, she was beginning to flush again, and not from illness; he was holding her so closely, so_ personally, _that it was making her heart race. That foreign feeling was washing over her again. Was it joy? Partly, but there was something deeper to it, something she dare not name…

"Good! Promise me you'll be more careful, Nami," he frowned at her, tilting his head to the side to look at her with his wide eyes. Were they always that adorable? "I worry about you. You work really hard. Sometimes you need to take a break." Nami looked shyly down at her lap, flattered by his level of concern for her. Before she could answer, a shadow fell over them, and they both looked up to see the red-haired man.

"So, I see our little Luffy has gotten himself a girlfriend." So many things raced through her mind in that moment. How did he know Luffy? Who was this guy? And Luffy's _girlfriend? _

"Shanks!" Luffy cried with delight, grinning from ear to ear. Nami was floored._ This is Shanks? I see why they nicknamed him "Red Hair."_ It was like the color of fire. "I didn't even realize you were here! I was too busy kicking that loser's ass," he huffed disdainfully with a nod to the unconscious Marine captain. "I have so much to tell you!"

"I'm sure you do," Shanks mused, one hand resting on the hilt of the sword at his hip. "Why don't you grab a seat? We want to hear all about your journey." The bar erupted into happy cheers and alcohol went flying around as they toasted to their reunion with the young boy. Nami was content to just sit on the floor and let Luffy have his fun. She knew how much Shanks and his crew meant to him, after all, and she didn't want to ruin his long-awaited reunion.

"Nah. I'll sit here with Nami, if you don't mind." At such a blunt statement, Nami went pink, and even Chopped gasped and looked at Luffy with surprise. He was perfectly calm, though, like it was a reasonable thing to say, with his arm still slung nonchalantly about her shoulders.

"So Nami really is Luffy's girlfriend. Nice to meet you! I wish we could have met under better circumstances, when you were well," Shanks beamed down at her.

"I'm not his girlfriend! I'm just his navigator!" she insisted hotly, burning now from embarrassment. The bar erupted into amused laughter.

"There's no need to be shy, darlin'!"

"Yeah! Tell us how a cute girl like you ended up with our little idiot!"

"Got any pretty friends, sweetheart? It's not often we see girls as cute as you!"

"Hey! I'm not an idiot!" Luffy protested, apparently not concerned at all that the entire crew thought they were an item. Nami hid her feverish face in her hands, not sure whether to be embarrassed or shamelessly delighted.

Deep down, she wondered if being thought of as Luffy's girlfriend was really that bad at all. Maybe it was the fever still wreaking havoc on her body- or maybe, just maybe, she cared for Luffy as much as he seemed to care about her.

Nami didn't know what these feelings were, but maybe they led not only to happiness, but love, too…


	20. Fire and Water

Category: Romantic Fluff

Characters: Sanji and Nami

Requested By: Lee03na (Ao3)

Nami's hands tightened around the balustrade as she spotted the familiar silhouette of sails and a wooden bow upon the horizon, and the tears dripped from her eyes as the frightened breath she had been holding slipped from her mouth. Behind them, the murderous Big Mom on her blazing fiery familiar had halted right in the middle of whatever deadly attack she was going to unleash, and was currently sniffing the air while drool pooled into her mouth; even farther than that lie her entire armada. For hours, they had been embroiled in a feverish game of cat-and-mouse, and only a few short minutes ago Nami had been convinced that their desperate effort had been for naught. As that ship sailed upon the horizon, however, hope burst once more in Nami's heart.

"Everyone!" She gasped as the shadowy ship rapidly came into focus. "It's a ship, and it has a cake on board! _It's Sanji!"_ Cheers erupted from the bedraggled crew, while the unconscious Carrot still snoozed on, tired from her exertion from the night before. Their shrieks of delight traveled across the swirling sea, and Nami thought that among the din she could hear the wayward cook calling her name.

Nami glanced up as the rushing of flames roared overhead just in time to see the cackling Emperor scream overhead like a meteor plummeting to Earth, rocketing toward Bege's ship, which had already whipped around to sail full-speed to the southwest. Nami's heart momentarily sunk, as she was afraid that Sanji would be trapped on the likely doomed vessel, until her expert eyes spotted a rapidly approaching object skimming just above the roiling waves heading right for them. By the time she had rapidly descended the steps down to the main deck, Sanji and Pudding had already landed on the wooden deck on a flying carpet.

"Yo! I'm back!" Sanji announced with a smug grin, a cigarette already clenched between his teeth. Nami _should_ have been prideful, _should _have let him know how utterly _stupid_ he was for subjecting them to this entire ordeal, but the moment she heard his voice such notions flew to the back of her mind. All she could think about was how glad she was to see him, how utterly_ elated _she was that he was finally_ home._ Along with Brook, she flung herself at him, wrapping her arms firmly around his neck like she never wanted to let him go again.

Maybe part of her didn't.

"Sanji! I'm so glad you're all right! I thought we weren't going to make it for a moment; thank you!" she exclaimed happily. The tears came to her eyes without her knowing, and when she pulled back to look up at him they were spilling over her cheeks while her bottom lip quivered uncontrollably. She had her fingers curled into the fabric of the fancy tuxedo shirt that he was still wearing, subconsciously convincing herself that he was really _here_ and was not a figment of her imagination. _He's_ _back. He's really home._ Sanji gawked at her for a moment, in utter shock that she would ever display such affection for him, before all the blood rushed to his face and steam practically blasted from his ears.

"_Namiiiiiiii_!" he squealed, and before she could even react he had shoved Brook to the side to wrap her into a tight embrace, burying his face into her tangerine hair. Nami froze, still stiffly clutching onto the soft fabric of his tuxedo jacket, while her mind struggled to comprehend the complex emotions writhing inside of her; part of her wanted to act as she normally did, to brusquely refute him, but part of her wanted to melt into him, letting him hold her for the rest of time, to keep her safe like he had always promised… Her eyes began to drift shut slightly, her fingers curling further into the jacket, while her mind began to drift into a fog of some unknown feeling. _Sanji… You came back to me… Don't leave again,_ she began to beg_. Sanji… I… _

Then, it was like a switch flipped in her head and she realized what exactly was happening. With pink cheeks, she jerked out of his grasp and placed a few good feet between herself and the lascivious man. _What just happened to me? _

After the love-struck cook finally came to his senses, the captainless crew exchanged information about their respective experiences. Sanji explained that Bege had agreed to sail the cake farther away and draw off both Big Mom and the massive fleet to give the Straw Hats a chance to retrieve Luffy, who was currently trapped on Cacao island still embroiled in his fight with Dogtooth. They were currently three hours away from Cacao Island with a time of arrival at 1 a.m., but they had no idea when or where Luffy was going to emerge from the mirror world. Most likely, Big Mom's army had laid a trap for him, and he would walk right out of one intense battle to land in another. Nami bit down nervously on her bottom lip as she wrapped her arms around herself to stave off the chill traveling up from her spine. _Even as powerful as Luffy is… There's no way he can fight off an entire army after just getting out of an intense battle like that! _Worse, they had not escaped the entire fleet, as a smaller one was still in active pursuit of the Thousand Sunny.

"There's no time. I'm going to have to go to Cacao Island and get him," Sanji frowned deeply. Nami felt a scream of opposition rising in her throat and intense fear clench her heart in its cold, sharp claws. _No! He just escaped…! _Though she wanted nothing more than to plead for him to stay, that there must be_ some _other way, but she knew deep down that there was not. Instead, she just clamped down on her bottom lip to keep her objections from escaping; they rang around in her head like a dismal symphony. _I want you to stay… Please don't go, Sanji… What if you don't come back? _As she stared at him with a trembling mouth and tears threatening to appear in her eyes once more, unconsciously committing his form to memory, he turned his back to her to walk toward the magic carpet. Had his shoulders always been that broad? That back so strong? _Sanji! Don't go! _Her fingers twitched with the need to grab the hem of his jacket like the weak little girl she was and beg him to stay. She wasn't sure what had come over her, why seeing him leave now frightened her so, but she could not think about anything else. _**Sanji…! **_

Somehow, he heard her.

He stopped a few steps away from the flying carpet, and Nami could see his shoulders hunch slightly as he pondered something; then, he whirled around to walk back over to her, giving a sidelong glance to Jinbe and the others. "I almost forgot. Make sure you guys take care of Nami, okay?" Though Nami would normally purse her lips and disregard his flirtatiousness, when his gaze flickered back to settle on her, the heat dwelling within his gaze made her mind melt into butter. Her heart began to flutter in her chest like a baby bird on its first clumsy flight. She was utterly helpless as he stopped in front of her, his head cocked to the side slightly as he regarded her with a soft smile. "I don't know what I would do if something happened to her," he whispered, every word accelerating the feverish pace of her heartbeat. Despite her best efforts, her desperate pleas forced themselves past the barrier of her quivering lips, and she timidly reached forward to gently clutch the hem of his tuxedo jacket.

"Is there no other way?" she asked quietly, softly, where only he could hear her weakness. He didn't answer her, only slipped his hand around hers and trailed his thumb across the top of hers that was just barely trembling; then, with a sudden movement, he snatched her by the wrist and jerked her roughly by the arm so that she lost her balance and fell into him. Before she could even think about reacting, he had placed his index finger underneath her chin to tilt her face upwards, and as her startled eyes locked with his she saw that heat had burst into the intense flame of desire. Its warmth crossed the few centimeters between them, burning her cheeks and seeping into her entire body to wrap its flickering hands around her feeble heart, warming her in a way she never knew possible. Utterly helpless to its intensity, she could do nothing as his lips swept down to cover her own. At the moment their mouths met, Nami felt something burst inside of her, like a dam that had borne the weight of floodwaters finally giving way to spill the writhing waves across the land; it was so powerful that it made her knees weak and she had to clutch onto him to keep herself from being swept away by the fire and water. She was unable to stop herself from moving her lips in sync with his, dancing along to the melody of the natural forces roiling inside of her. It lasted mere seconds, but to Nami she was trapped in the maelstrom for an eternity. When their lips finally parted, she unconsciously ran her tongue across the surface of her bottom lip, tasting the sweetness left behind by his. This action did not go unnoticed by the flirtatious cook, as a satisfied grin appeared on his face, one that Nami realized once she finally came to her senses.

"Take care of her!" Sanji insisted to the completely floored crew members before whirling on his feet to stride back over to the flying carpet as if nothing had happened. Pudding was fuming, all three of her eyes wide as she spat acidic insults to him, then hunched over and shot the carpet off the boat at unnecessary speed. It was then that the crew managed to voice their confused screams and run around Nami in circles or shake her vigorously, but the navigator was watching it all through a foggy window, too entranced in the dream-like state of budding love.

_Sanji kissed me_. He had always acted so nonchalant, and she had written off his proclamations of love as hopeless flirting. After all, he acted that way with every female that fell across his path. _He kissed me_. As much as she wanted to write this off as such, she could not; she could _feel _that love for her now, _true_ love- that immense wave of fire that kissed the very depth of her soul and awoken something that she had not known had been sleeping within her. The flames of his passion had breathed flickering embers inside of her, nurturing her empty hearth into a gently burning candle of affection. _Sanji loves me. _

_Do I… Do I love Sanji? _

Even nearly three hours later, Sanji was still grinning. _Nami had such a cute look on her face! _He thought with a devilish snicker, then peered around the corner once more with a small frown. An entire army of Big Mom's soldiers had gathered around what he had surmised to be the only remaining mirror within the kingdom, waiting to ensnare Luffy within their trap when he came stumbling out of his harrowing fight. _It should be soon, now… If he isn't able to escape them immediately, we'll be screwed…! _He exhaled deeply and leaned back, tapping his foot slightly. He then smiled suddenly. "Pudding… We'll have to say goodbye soon," he remarked and turned around to continue, then recoiled slightly in shock. "Why are you sitting all the way over there?!" She was perched on a box, biting down on her lip as she stared intently at the cobblestone alleyway path. He smiled slightly in bemusement and leaned back against the slightly cold stone wall. "You know, we met under pretty strange circumstances," he remarked as he thought back on the strange roller coaster that had been their relationship. "We have to part ways soon, so I thought that I should thank you for everything you've done, Pudding," he beamed and held out a hand for her. Pudding, at his prompting, stood up to look at him with a red face and a stressed expression, before she whipped around and screamed, "Shut up!" He could only chuckle. _Typical Pudding… Can't express her emotions at all. _As she hid her face, he smirked slightly. "I get it. We are enemies, after all. Though, with the wedding being a trap and a big show, I'm still glad that my fiancé was you, Pudding." He meant that, too. Though he felt no romantic attraction to her- his heart did truly belong to Nami, after all- he wanted the best for her. It was then that she began to completely break down into ugly tears, startling him enough to jump up from his crouching position and run over to her. "Hey! Don't cry! I wasn't trying to make fun of you or anything!" Abruptly, she dried her tears and looked at him with a determined expression.

"Sanji… I have one last request of you." Sanji was just relieved that she had stopped crying, and though he should have been keeping an eye out for his captain, he momentarily forgot the notion in lieu of humoring her request. Pudding scampered over to him, gazing up at him with those pretty eyes of hers, before she fell against him and clutched tightly onto his shirt. He raised his eyebrows slightly, quite surprised at her sudden display of affection. He was even more floored when she stood up on her tip-toes to firmly but lovingly press her lips against his. It was not like the way he had kissed Nami- the feeling was not quite strong enough- but strong enough that the words she could not speak were heard by him. It was her final goodbye, her gratitude, that she could not voice. As SanjI lay in a daze, having not expected such a thing from her, she jerkily pulled back and released him to hurry back down the alleyway. By the time he had blinked himself back into reality, she had vanished around the corner.

"Pudding?" he called as loudly as he dare with the nearby soldiers, but he could not chase after her. He stared at the darkness with complicated feelings, thinking about what she had told him in the sad, final kiss.

_Thank you for everything… And love her well._ She didn't need to say it aloud for him to know. She knew he loved Nami, not her, and she had come to terms with that. Her last request had been for him to give her the love she could never have. It was a noble thing.

_I will, Pudding. I hope you find someone to love you, too. _With that settled, he returned to his post waiting for his captain. All he had to do was rescue Luffy and return to the Thousand Sunny- return to Nami, at last.

Nami sat at her desk, hunched over slightly as she pored over her navigational charts ensuring that they were on the quickest, most efficient route to Wano. The sun was beginning to rise, golden light pouring in through the gap of her slightly open door along with the fresh, salty sea breeze. Nami often worked with the door open, as the scent of the ocean helped her concentrate. Though she once may have been loathe to admit it, she was born to be a pirate; she simply loved the sea, the ocean waves and the swirling currents and the salt dancing on the wind.

They had successfully escaped Big Mom's clutches with Pekoms as the only casualty. Their captain, though severely beaten, had been safely brought back by Sanji and was currently in the care of their spastic doctor. Jinbe had separated from them to aid his crew in ensuring their escape from the gigantic murderous Emperor. Now, they were sailing the open ocean heading towards Wano, where the great rendezvous would occur.

With a small yawn, Nami set down her pen and leaned back to stretch her arms above her head to quell her complaining back muscles, lowering a hand to rub her eyes. Somehow, her fingers drifted down to her lips, tracing across the soft surface where Sanji had kissed her. Even now, hours later, she could feel the ghost of his mouth against hers, the whispers of his love speaking to her trembling heart. The corner of her mouth twitched and she hurriedly lowered her hand, staring unseeing at the charts spread out across the wooden surface of her desk. Sanji had been on the ship for quite a while now, but she had been unable to bring herself to face him. That little fire smoldered inside of her, but she was unsettled by it. Nami knew nothing of love, and the intensity of emotion she had felt in that moment almost frightened her; even more, she was admittedly terrified at the possibility that it had all been one-sided on her part, that it had been yet another groundless flirtation and Sanji didn't care that deeply for her at all. The thought of that was almost unbearable.

It took Nami a few moments to notice that she felt the sea breeze more strongly than normal, and when she turned, she stiffened when she found that the door had been pushed all the way open, and Sanji was standing in the threshold. All of her thoughts ceased and she gawked dumbly at him.

"Have you been up all night?" he asked. He was still dressed in his cloak and tuxedo. Nami noticed for the first time how attractive he was in such an outfit, and as the blush began to rise to her cheeks, she hastily averted her gaze to her navigational charts.

"I've just been going over my charts. It's important that we get to Wano as quickly as possible," she answered. Sanji did not answer. She heard the door click shut and the fall of his boots across the wooden floor, but she could not bring herself to look up; she could bring herself to do nothing but stare at the charts, her heart ramming against her ribcage. He stopped beside her, close enough for her to feel his body heat, or maybe it was just herself heating up as the little fire flickered brighter inside of her. She tilted her head up slightly of her own volition as his hand slid under her chin to turn her toward him, and she gazed up at him with widened eyes as he traced his thumb across the bags that had formed beneath them.

"You should go to sleep." There was no way Nami could sleep now; as her doubts and fears writhed inside her like prowling beasts that she struggled to contain, their jaws dripping adrenaline that shot into her veins. He was looking at her like that again, that smoldering look that added flames to her newborn fire. Was she imagining it? She must be. After three years, all they had been through, why _now_ would he suddenly be in love with her? It couldn't possibly be true. Yet, as he continues to slowly trace his thumb across her wearied face, that glimmer of hope fluttered inside of her, a delicate butterfly with wings of fragile glass. If it were not true it would shatter.

"What did it mean?" she sputtered suddenly. His eyebrows crept up his forehead as her expression morphed from a startled deer to a firm wolf. "The kiss… What did it mean?" He was acting like it never happened. Did that mean it meant nothing? Her little butterfly began to falter as the thoughts crept into her mind, but she still stared resolutely up at him, hoping, hoping,_ hoping. _

"Oh. That." He tugged up on her face, bringing her effortlessly into a standing position so that their faces were centimeters apart. His lips curled into a smug smirk as his free hand settled on the small of her back, slowly bringing her body up against his. If he felt her rapid gasps of breath, her heart hammering in her chest, her body trembling like a leaf upon that whirling salt breeze, he said nothing. "If I tell you, will you go to sleep?"

"Yes!" She had no pride now to refuse any demands; she just had to_ know, know _how he felt about her once and for all. His smirk widened, and he cocked his head to the side slightly.

"It means I love you, Nami." As if the words were not enough, he sought to prove it further; in moments, his mouth had found hers, and that little butterfly of hope dove into her flickering flame to ignite it into a bursting inferno. Her knees immediately failed at the surge of heat within her, but Sanji firmly held her aloft. Not that Nami could focus on that, though- she was too busy at the mercy of his sugary-sweet lips pouring over hers. Their mouths mixed together like swirling ocean currents, engaged in a perfect harmonic dance. All of her thoughts were swept away by the rapidly rising tide, leaving only that roaring flame of her desire. Her shaking hands curled into his tuxedo jacket, the only way to ground herself against the intense storm, and allowed him to take control.

The kiss rapidly deepened, stealing Nami's breath away and drawing a soft_ mmmmm_ from her. While his one hand still held her firmly by the small of her back, the other slid across her neck, over her shoulder, and into her tangerine hair to caress to salt-kissed waves, twirling his fingers around the orange strands. His lips pushed against hers with more insistence, begging for hers to part, and when she finally obliged him his tongue immediately jumped to entwine his hers. Nami's mind weakened against the pull of the tide, unable to cope with the strong sweetness bursting inside her mouth; it felt like pure honey being dripped across her tongue as it tangled with his. Her already weakened legs wobbled, barely able to hold her weight, and she dug her fingers into his shirt in a feeble effort to support herself. Sanji responded by reaching down to jerk her upwards, wrapping her legs around his middle while his head tilted backwards to continue kissing her passionately, their lips not breaking contact for a moment. He staggered slightly as she took the lead, her draconic fire bearing back against the tsunami of helplessness, and she released his clothes to cup his face as she kissed him back with all the force she could muster.

She knew now. She knew she loved him, too.

After a minute, Sanji carried her over to the bed and fell backwards onto it, bringing her down on top of him. Nami was not sure how much time actually passed, but at some point the wave receded and the fire sputtered out, and they broke apart. Their faces still close, they gazed into each others eyes as they breathed heavily. Nami's mind eventually returned to her, just as Sanji reached up to once again sweep his thumb over the dark circles beneath her eyes. "Will you sleep now?" he murmured breathily.

"Only if you stay with me," she answered and slumped off him to curl up at his side, settling within the crook of his arm with her head laying across her chest. She could feel his heartbeat, rapid within his broad, muscular chest, and it soothed her as the drowsiness finally claimed her. As her eyes drooped, Sanji gently ran his fingers through her hair, from the roots down to the curled ends.

"Of course."

"Did you love Pudding, Sanji?" She couldn't help but ask. Sanji may have proclaimed his undying love for her but that didn't make her forget his blatant flirtatiousness with other women. He snorted with laughter.

"Of course not. She's not a bad kisser, though. Not as good as you, naturally, but still not bad." She glanced up at him with an irritated expression, her cheeks puffed out, while he smirked smugly.

"Get out of my bed!" She wasn't really angry with him; though knowing he had kissed Pudding irked her, his reaction had been enough to appease any doubts she possessed. Still, she had to keep up her stubborn appearance. Sanji apparently saw through that façade and laughed heartily, wrapping her in a strong embrace and burying his face in her hair.

"Go to sleep!" Nami rolled her eyes but obediently snuggled into him, closing her eyes and listening to his breathing and gradually slowing heartbeat. Lulled by the sounds of the man she loved, Nami drifted off into a content sleep.


	21. Sunrise

Category: Romantic Fluff

Characters: Nami and Sanji

Requested by: farrah87 (Ao3)

As Nami arched her back and stretched her arms over her head to alleviate the stiffness in her muscles, a long yawn overtook the features of her tired face. As her hand drifted down to rub her eye, below which hung dark bags, she looked down at her handiwork, a full account of the Straw Hat Pirates' current financial status. Nami attended to this duty often, because the boys were notorious for spending their money frivolously, and it would be a damn shame for them to be known as broke pirates. This was something Nami could not allow and so she was the manager of their finances, and probably the reason they were not currently swimming in debt or the equivalent of pirate hobos. Nami grimaced as her muscles, sore from being forced to remain in a sitting position for hours on end, continued to whine loudly at her; the accounting was close to finish, so she acquiesced and rose from the wooden chair. She hunched over for a moment, her joints locking as if they had turned to stone, before she was able to straighten out with a series of audible creaks and cracks. _If I had sat there much longer, I might have become an old lady! _She thought with a frown as she strode out of her navigator's quarters.

Nami approached the balustrade that overlooked the deck, curling her fingers around it and closing her eyes as the salty sea breeze kissed her skin and played with her hair, like little fairies enamored with a princess' beauty. When they opened, her brown eyes were gazing up at the brilliant blanket of stars above her head; there wasn't a cloud in the sky tonight, and so they shone down upon her in all their brilliance, turning her tangerine hair a lustrous shade of gold. As she breathed in deeply, the scent of salt and seawater came with the air, and filled her with an acute sense of ease. Ease was something that Nami had not had of late, as the Straw Hat pirates had only finished tangling with the murderous Emperor Big Mom less than a day ago. Nami's body still bore healing wounds, as did the rest of the crew. Naturally, Luffy had taken the brunt of most of it and was sleeping it off belowdecks, more bandages than anything else. Even now, Nami's nerves were still on edge; the Emperor undoubtedly would not let the transgression past, and they likely had an army behind them as they headed to Wano, where another Emperor ruled. The sense of calm was soon eclipsed by concern, and she ripped her gaze from the stars and walked to the side of the ship to instead stare at the sea.

The sea had always calmed Nami even in the most stressful of times. When she had been Arlong's prisoner, even with the weight of her entire village upon her small back, she would cast her eyes to the rolling waves and their rhythm would carry away all her worries. It was no different now. Her entire body relaxed and a smile naturally formed on her lips as her eyes beheld the starlight glittering upon the rolling waves, and her ears were graced by the ever-present melody of sloshing water and creaking wood and fluttering sails. Nami was born to be on the sea, that much was certain; it was like seawater was in her blood, resonating with the waves and aching when she was parted from it for too long. Nami's eyelashes fluttered as golden light began to spill over the horizon, as the sun was rising from its nightly slumber to bring warmth and light to the world. Nami watched as the stars began to blink out one by one and the black sky was dyed with red. As the sun appeared, Nami found herself thinking that its hue matched that of Sanji's hair.

"Sanji…"

"You're up awfully early." Nami glanced over her shoulder as she was addressed to find Sanji standing a few feet behind her, which startled her greatly, and she blushed with mortification at the thought he had heard her whisper his name. Though he had likely just awoken himself, a lit cigarette was already in his mouth, sending smoke swirling about his face, which was cast in an orange glow by the small fire. "Do you always wake up to watch the sunrise?" he asked as he walked over to stand beside her, leaning against the balustrade with one arm hanging over lazily. If he had heard her, he made no comment, and she tried to seem unperturbed as she glanced up at him.

"No. I stayed up late doing the books, and just happened to come out at the right time."

"You've been up all night?!" he exclaimed in shock. "Nami, you can't do that! It's bad for a woman's complexion, you know. Not that anything could ever take away from your beauty~" Nami puffed out her cheeks and looked back at the ocean, where the golden sunlight spilling like paint through the blue water. Normally she ignored his flirtatiousness, but ever since the incident with Pudding and the rest of the Charlotte family, it irked her. It mad her more irritated because she didn't know why. "Really, Nami, are you all right?" His sudden question made her forget her silent annoyance, and she looked up at him with quizzical eyes.

"Yes, why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, you know, you were treated pretty roughly by Big Mom and all that," he frowned, and she looked down when he suddenly took her hands. Around her wrists were ringed bruises from the chains that had held her, and she flushed as he gently traced his thumbs across the ugly, blue-black mosaics. It had been a terrible time, particularly for her mental state; the venomous things that Sanji had said stained her mind like ink. She knew that Sanji had never meant it, and was only saying those things to protect both himself and the people he loved, but she could not scrub the mark from the fabric of her mind. It clung stubbornly, glued by one thing: _Pudding. _Nami knew not why the woman and Sanji's apparent affections for her bothered her so. Even now, when he had left her behind and committed to staying with the Straw Hats, some part of her was afraid that Sanji had met the love of his life, and regretted the decision. Would the day come that it would be too much for him to bear, and he would abandon them of his own volition? "Hey. Nami."

"What?" The word betrayed her, laced with acidity, and he stared at her quizzically as the blood rushed to her face. He abandoned whatever he was going to say to her and replaced it with a more pertinent query.

"Are you… mad at me?"

"Yes! No! I don't know!" she growled and whipped her hands free of him to cross her arms and turn her back. Her tired state left her with less control of her emotions, and they stampeded through her heart and mind, leaving her logic in shambles. The anger passed as quickly as it came, dissolving into acute sadness and guilt. If Sanji loved Pudding, then it was not her place to stand in his way; she wanted him to be happy, after all, and if he was happier wed to the woman than with the Straw Hats, she should respect that. Why, then, did it make her feel so impossibly lonely? Sanji still stood behind her, probably short-circuiting as he debated what the proper response was, before he timidly reached out to touch her shoulder. Rather than resist, Nami allowed him to turn her around to face him, and he cocked his head to the side as he looked at her in concern.

"Nami, what's going on?" he demanded. Nami didn't answer because she didn't know herself; instead, she abandoned herself to her frustration and began to cry. Her heart hurt more than her body ever could. She was so conflicted, trapped in a maelstrom of self-pity and guilt. The incident had been exponentially rougher on Sanji, yet all she could think about was herself. As her shoulders shook lightly and her bottom lip quivered, Sanji stared at her with wide eyes and a perplexed expression. His hand twitched on her shoulder, then rose and froze mid-way in the air; when it was clear that Nami was not going to slap it away, he gently laid his fingers across her cheek, carrying her flowing tears away with it. Nami felt warmth bloom across her cheek at the simple touch, and was overcome by the fierce desire to feel _more_; unable to think logically, she grabbed Sanji's hand and adamantly laid it back across her cheek, and her eyes flickered up to meet his while she struggled to voice the storm in her heart.

"Sanji, I'm afraid." There, it was in the open. The words hung in the air, suspended by strings, until the silence was slashed by his answer.

"What are you afraid of?" _Big Mom. That you love Pudding. That you're going to leave us. That everything will fall apart. That you love Pudding. That you meant what you said. That Big Mom will come for us again. __**That you love Pudding. **_So many things Nami was scared of, but that most of all. He had to love her; he had been so willing to marry her, and still treated her kindly despite her role in the plot to murder him, and was so insistent that she was kind deep down. Part of her knew that that was just how Sanji was and had nothing to do with love or anything of the sort, but the fact that the possibility existed overtook everything, making her illogical and rash. There was an overwhelming fear that eclipsed all that, though.

Nami was afraid that she was in love with Sanji, and wasn't loved in return. That was what the root of it all was. As she just continued to cry in silence, Sanji waited patiently for her answer. Sanji really was so kind. She wanted that kindness to be hers, hers alone, and the thought that Pudding would get it instead of her broke her. Her eyes rocketed around in their sockets, looking at him, then the sky, then the deck, then the sea; it felt like a bubble was inside of her, straining to burst, but it was so large that she could not force it out through her throat. The tears flowed faster down her face as her cheeks turned red with frustration and fear. _I can't… My throat feels like it's closing up…! I-! _"Nami, you don't have to be afraid. I'll protect you, no matter what." As he uttered those words, the balloon that was Nami's tension deflated, and she looked up at him with a shocked expression. He was smiling warmly down at her, and his blue eyes were filled with something intense she had never seen, and whatever it was washed over her like a soothing stream and calmed her distress. Suddenly she was able to speak again.

"You won't leave me?"

"Is that what this is about. Nami, why ever would I leave you?" he asked with a slight chuckle, shaking his head as if it were a ridiculous notion. It seemed like the thought had not crossed his mind, but her anxiety was still not alleviated fully. She pushed her cheek against the hand that was still held there, feeling his palm, soft against her skin, not roughened by fighting.

"Because… you love Pudding…" she mumbled. Sanji's eyebrows shot up to the roots of his hair, and his blue eyes widened as they met her uncertain brown ones. Nami did not know what he was going to do next, and everything depended on that reaction.

He began laughing.

"Oh, Nami! You sure do have some ridiculous notions in your head!" he snorted. _That _was not what she had been expecting, and it was her turn to have raised eyebrows and a confused look as he doubled over against the balustrade of the ship, cackling like she had just told him the funniest joke he had ever heard. He still held his hand against her face, and she could feel it shake with every cackle that wracked his body. It took him a minute to settle down into the occasional snicker, and when he looked up at her, he was grinning in amusement, but that something was still in his eyes. "Nami, I am _not _in love with Pudding, not in the slightest." Though it was what she had wanted to hear, Nami suddenly felt extremely embarrassed at how off-base she had been, so much so that she almost wanted it to be true.

"But-! What about all that stuff with her?" she insisted stubbornly. Sanji straightened up with another snicker, and for a moment her mind was overtaken how much taller he was than her and how it was oddly nice, the way he was looking down at her. _That's not the issue here! _

"Nami, I just did what I had to do in the moment, okay? I only love one woman and that isn't Pudding." Nami was about to deliver another retort until her mind processed what had exactly come out of his mouth, and she looked dumbly up at him when she comprehended the sentence.

"Who, then?" He gave her a lop-sided smile and pulled his cigarette out of his mouth, tossing it into the waves, which were now all bathed in the glowing sunlight. So were she and Sanji; his hair shone with all the sun's brilliance, catching the light, and it made his face glow as he scrunched it up in an elated smile.

"You, Nami. For a smart girl, you sure are dense." Her mind rang with the simple truth. _Sanji loves me. _She wasn't sure, in that moment or all the moments looking back upon it, if it was the dawning sun or that simple utterance that warmed her, but warmed she was. She felt happiness bubble up inside her and spread across every cell in her body, making them sing with a tune she had never felt before. She began crying again, but it wasn't from sadness or frustration this time, but overwhelming relief and joy. She raised her hands to wipe the tears away, but Sanji caught them, still smiling that brilliant smile. "It's okay, Nami. You can cry when you're happy, you know? Plus, I always thought you looked cute when you cry."

"You're a jerk," she sniffed. Her voice was thick with the force of emotion she was feeling. She puffed out her cheeks defiantly at him.

"You look cute when you do that, too," he remarked, and her eyes widened as he grabbed her face with a hand, pushing into her cheeks to deflate them and forcefully purse her lips. He laughed as she narrowed her eyes, his name distorted as she tried to complain, and he just continued squishing her cheeks despite her repeated squeaks to stop. Because of his teasing, she was able to calm down a little, her overwhelming tsunami of loving feelings settling into a flow not unlike that of the waves below. "Better now?" he grinned as he let her face go.

"You really are a jerk," she sighed and closed her eyes. It turns out that it was just what he had been waiting for, for no sooner than her eyelashes met did he jump forward to kiss her on the mouth. Nami went stiff as their lips met, having not expected it, but then melted against him as every muscle in her body seemed to turn to jelly. Sanji's sturdy frame supported her, and his arms wound around her, and her fingers curled into the fabric of his shirt as she anchored herself to him. Nami had never kissed anyone before, and under most circumstances she would have been nervous, but a fog of elation had descended over her mind and prevented her from even thinking of that. All she could think of was they way his lips moved over her own, soft, sensual. She didn't even mind that she could still smell the cigarette smoke on his mouth; somehow it soothed her, because it was the scent that belonged to him and made her feel safe and wanted. Her body jumped as he pulled her against him, like he could not get enough of her. Her nerves sparked with electricity as their middles touched, so closely that she could feel his muscles flexing beneath his shirt as he began to kiss her more fervently. With every movement Nami descended more and more, like she was sinking beneath the waves into an abyss of love and passion. As her hands drifted over his shoulders to tangle into his blonde hair, bringing his head down as she kissed him back with equal intensity, his settled at her waist.

Sanji turned her body to press her against the railing of the ship, one of his knees pushing between her legs as he bent her slightly over the wood. As Nami's head tilted back, his tongue swept slowly across her bottom lip, begging for entry; she unashamedly complied, and as it entered her mouth to eagerly tangle with her own, she thought she was going to be swept away by the current that he was for sure. The taste of him got her drunk in an instant, and her mind was hazy as she struggled to stay afloat in the sea of their passion. Nami didn't doubt at all now that his heart belonged to her and her only, and that he felt the same way about her; she knew it all from the way he held her, the way he kissed her, like he never, ever wanted to let her go. Basked in the warmth and light from the rising sun, Nami relished that kiss, that moment, that confession of their love.

When they finally broke apart, the sun had risen fully into the blue sky and they were panting, their faces each shining with a thin sheen of perspiration. She smiled weakly as his hand swept over her cheek again, this time to tuck a strand of her golden hair behind her ear. She realized then that she had never voiced her feelings, and even though it was probably unneeded at this point, she wanted to anyway.

"I love you, Sanji." That sweet smile appeared on his face again, and instead of replying, he wordlessly pulled her into a hug. Nami sighed deeply as she hugged him back and buried her face into his shoulder.

"Y'know, Nami… I'm afraid too," she heard him mumble into her hair.

"Of what?" she responded without moving. He shifted his head to bury it further into her tangerine locks, so far that she felt his lips moving against her scalp.

"I'm afraid… I won't be able to protect you. There's no doubt that some serious fighting is going to go down in Wano. I… don't want to lose you, especially not now." Nami smiled into him, hugging him tighter. For Sanji to admit that he was afraid of something admittedly made her happy, because it meant he really was willing to pour out his heart and soul to her.

"Well,_ I'm_ not afraid. You've never let me down before, Sanji. I believe in you one hundred percent!" she told him confidently. She really wasn't. Sanji had washed all her fears away, and she knew now that she was safe with him, forever and always. She wanted him to know she felt that way; more than that, she wanted him to know that she was willing to give herself over to him, to rely on him completely, which was the hardest thing for her to ever do. "You can't lose, because I'm counting on you." She felt him smile, and he squeezed her so tightly that she felt her lungs constrict. She didn't complain, though.

"Yeah. I won't let you down, Nami."

"Good, and when you're done whooping ass, I'll be waiting for you with open arms! Just leave some for me to kick, okay? I'm not a damsel in distress." This time, she lifted her head to smile cheekily at him. He snorted in laughter and lifted his head out of her hair, smiling as brilliantly as the dawning sun. Nami wasn't able to do the same for him, but she knew that she could support him from the sidelines, to be there for him to return to. She could protect herself well enough too, after all.

"You're so independent, Nami. That's what I love about you." She grinned up at him at the compliment, and again, he leaned down to kiss her. It was softer than before, but somehow more passionate, like he was taking more care to voice all his unspoken feelings to her rather than it being a desperate display of passion. Nami's eyes drifted shut again, accepting his love.

Nami had no room for fear anymore, when she was being filled up with all those other emotions instead. She had no need for fear anymore, not with the man she loved and who loved her holding her so tightly, and she knew he would never, ever let her go… Smiling into the kiss, Nami looked happily upon the dawn of a new sea, a sea of love that she and Sanji would sail together, out into the sun on the horizon…


	22. Natural

Category: Mild Romantic Fluff

Characters: Luffy and Nami

Requested by: farrah87 (Ao3)

As the watering can hung limply in her hand, dispensing the last of its precious drops to her beloved, well-tended tangerine trees, Nami used her other hand to shield her eyes as she cast her gaze to the sky above. It was a wonderfully clear day, with the cloudless blue expanse above home to a blistering sun- not that it was saying much, since the weather on the Grand Line could literally change at the drop of the hat. Still, feeling the sun's warm rays basking over her and, more importantly, giving precious life to her tangerine trees, made Nami feel content. She shook the last few drops of water from the emptied tin can before setting in its place beside the wooden box that held her small grove, and walked to the banister to look down upon the deck below.

Their most recent venture to the secret laboratory on Punk Hazard had landed them several new temporary visitors to their trusty ship- Trafalgar Law, a recently named Warlord of the Sea and the newest target of Luffy's friendship crusade, and Momonosuke and his retainer Kine'mon, residents of the island of Wano who were relying on the Straw Hats to bring them home. _Luffy has always had a habit of picking up strays, _she thought wryly as she leaned her cheek in her hand and stared down at the carpeted deck below. Zoro was snoozing, Sanji was cooking, Luffy was sitting at the head of the ship impatiently awaiting the appearance of his newest adventure on the horizon; though their captain had a magnet for disaster, Nami could bear the turmoil for all the calm, peaceful days upon the sea such as this one. Her eyes drifted to the waves lapping at the sides of the ship, finding the gently melody of sloshing water as soothing as always.

She must have been day-dreaming for quite a few minutes, because when Luffy started calling her name, he had already vacated his favorite spot at the figurehead and was standing in the middle of the deck flapping his arms like a deranged bird.

"Nami! Come down, come down! We're gonna play a game!"

It was one of his favorite ways to pass the time, because a boisterous thing such as himself could never be still. By the time Nami had made it down to the deck, the rest of the crew had spilled out onto the lawn and was arranged in a circle around a cup full of popsicle sticks. Nami settled in between Luffy and Sanji. "It's called the Pirate King's Game!" Her captain grinned excitedly at her. Most of his excitement probably only stemmed from the game's name.

"It's very simple," Robin, apparently the one who had mentioned the game, began from her seat across Nami. "Each one of these sticks has a number written on it, except for one, which has a crown. The person who gets the crown will give an command to a random number to do something, whether it be just an act or to do something to someone else. For example, if I had the crown, I could say, 'Number Two, stand on your head for ten seconds,' or, 'Number Five, hold hands with Number Three until the next round,'" she explained matter-of-factly. For such a serious, calm person, Robin had an extensive amount of knowledge about party games, Nami noticed. "Now, we do have a minor," she added with a sidelong glance at Momonosuke, "so be sure not to suggest anything _too_ adult." The little boy blinked in confusion as a haze of pink rushed across his chubby cheeks. Luffy giggled excitedly next to her and wriggled in delight.

"This is gonna be awesome! I'm gonna be Pirate King first, I'm tellin' ya!"

"This is ridiculous. I'm not doing this," Law muttered and moved to stand up, but Luffy flung himself out on his belly to wrap his arms around his legs. "Let go!"

"Pleeeeeeeease play, Trafalguy? Pleeeeeeeease? Please? Please, please, please, _please_!" Luffy repeatedly begged Law to stay while the irritated warlord attempted to pry his leg free of Luffy's iron grip. After a few minutes the grumpy boy gave up, plopping back down with a huff to cross his arms and glare at the cup of popsicle sticks with a vein sticking out on his forehead. Luffy crowed in victory and returned to his sitting position. "Let's go, let's _go_!" he demanded impatiently. Robin obligingly swirled the cup of popsicle sticks to randomize them, and when she set it back down on the lawn, the Straw Hats and their three guests leaned forward to each pluck a popsicle stick from the container. Nami was mildly disappointed to find that she had a number instead of a crawn scrawled in black ink at the end of the wooden stick.

"Ohh! I got the crown! _I'm_ the Pirate King!" Chopper squealed and held it proudly above his fluffy horned head. He smiled happily as he pondered what his orders would be, while Luffy hung his head and moped. "Okay! I want Number Four to ballroom dance with Number Seven."

"Nami-swaaaaaan, you must be Number Seven, right~?" Sanji cried as hearts danced in his eyes, and with almost too much amusement she shook her head and showed him that her number was instead two. The hearts beating in his irises snapped in half, and before he could jump to the next object of his affections, Robin, Zoro coughed quietly and turned his popsicle stick to show that it was _he_ who would be Sanji's ballroom partner. Sanji stared at him for a solid few seconds before his face blazed red and he clamped down on the cigarette in his mouth. "Hell no! I'm not dancing with Shitty Marimo!"

"Y-you mean… You won't do it? But… It's the rules…" Chopper whimpered and clutched the popsicle stick close to his chest as his eyes swam with tears. Zoro glanced over at the distraught reindeer before standing up and giving Sanji a death glare.

"Get up. Or are you not man enough to go through with a dare?" _Chopper really is Zoro's ultimate weakness… And Zoro getting the better of him is Sanji's! _Nami thought with a slight smirk as Sanji cursed under his breath and stood up stiffly, his hands shoved in his pockets and his shoulders hunched up to his ears. Brook began loudly humming a romantic tune as the two stomped a few feet away and assumed a waltz position, but were standing far too far apart.

"Do it right, boys," Robin called with an amused smile, and the two men both cursed profusely under their breath before getting nearly chest-to-chest. They argued heatedly for a minute about who would lead, and a very disgruntled Sanji was forced to act as the woman. It didn't go well, because Zoro did _not _know how to dance in the slightest and was just clumsily shambling the cook around. Nami had to cover her mouth as a snort of laughter threatened to spill. Luffy and Usopp weren't even trying to be polite; they were cackling like idiots, holding their bellies as they rolled around kicking their legs. Kine'mon has a hand over young Momonosuke's eyes while the young boy darted about trying to see, and Law looked halfway between being sick and being tired.

"Stop laughing, you morons! Just wait what happens when I'm the Pirate King!" Sanji snapped angrily, his shoulders bristling like a cat's.

"Just shut up. You're being undignified," Zoro sighed, then clumsily stepped on Sanji's foot as he turned about. The cook yowled before glaring acidly at him with grinding teeth, and if Nami didn't know better he had cat ears flattened to his blonde hair.

"_You're_ the undignified one! This is why I should have le- _Stop stepping on my goddamn foot!_" Chopper watched them continue to prance about with his little cute giggles before releasing them from their grim fate. They immediately sprang apart and rejoined the circle, with Zoro trying to seem unperturbed but obviously stiff and Sanji fuming so hot they could have fried an egg on his head. They replaced their sticks and Robin shuffled them before they proceeded to the second round.

"Oh! I-I'm the Pirate King!" Momonosuke gasped with wide eyes. He turned pink, uncomfortable as he was suddenly put in the spotlight, and stared down at the crown on the stick as he bit his lip. "U-Um… Number Two has to give Number Six a hug?" he decided on finally.

"Ah! That's me! Number Two!" Chopper squealed and jumped up, looking around with a big smile. "Who's Number Six? Nami?"

"Sorry, Chopper."

"Sanji? Usopp?"

Their responses were "Nope," and "Nah," respectively. Chopper's shoulders sagged a little bit with each refusal, until he had named all but one individual in the circle… Trafalgar Law. Chopper began to sweat profusely and laugh nervously as he looked at the Warlord, who had remained silent and was sitting there with his arms crossed and eyes closed. Nami had to admit that she felt bad for the little reindeer, but to his credit, he carefully plodded over to Law.

"I'm, uh… Gonna hug you now… Okay?" he squeaked, his voice an octave higher than normal. As Law cracked an eye open to look down at him with all his normal intensity, Chopper cried out in fright and began to quiver in front of him, shaking like a leaf in the wind. As his teeth rattled and he struggled to retain his bravery, he stiffly shuffled forward, Law's sharp gaze on him all the while. In a sudden burst of energy, Chopper jumped up into his lap and wrapped his little reindeer arms around Law's middle, held it for a second, and then leaped off and zoomed back to his seat, screaming all the while. He then collapsed against the lawn panting heavily, going pale as his soul threatened to leave his body. "I… I did it…"

"Hey, Trafalguy, Chopper's super cuddly, isn't he?"

"Shut up, Strawhat."

_Oh? Is that a blush I see? _Nami thought with a hand to her mouth as Law looked away with the faintest haze of pink to his cheeks. _Even the Surgeon of Death can't resist Chopper's cuteness, it seems! _

The third round had everyone energized, but yet again, the title of Pirate King eluded Luffy. He melted to the ground in a disappointed puddle, groaning as Robin announced that she had assumed the title.

"All right, then. Number Three has to give Number Eight a kiss."

"Eh? I'm Number Eight!" Nami cried in a panic. Sanji wailed in dismay and slammed his head against the deck of the ship, overly distraught that he was not the one to kiss the navigator. He then looked up through his tears at Robin.

"We don't mean a real kiss, right?"

"It doesn't have to be. It can be on the cheek, or on the forehead," the historian shrugged, leaning back on her hands. Nami clutched the stick in her hands nervously as her gaze flitted about the circle of pirates. _Oh, dear God, I hope it's not Law! _The tattooed man was just watching lazily in disinterest, which made her sigh in relief.

"So, I just gotta give Nami a kiss, right?" Nami whipped around to look at Luffy, who was holding the matching stick and looking at her with a scarily blank look on his face. Her face blazed red, not sure how she felt about her clueless, airhead captain kissing her, but she quickly gathered her wits and exhaled sharply.

"Okay, Luffy. Just one on the che-" She was interrupted as Luffy grabbed her underneath the chin and yanked her forward to kiss her full on the mouth. The world seemed to freeze for a moment, even the wind holding its breath as their lips met; Nami was unable to do anything but sit there captured in the kiss, as Luffy's deadly serious eyes bored through her own and his mouth slid rhythmically across hers in a passionate waltz, awaking something within her that she had never known was there. Then the world exploded. Sanji had jumped to his feet and was screaming, Chopper was running around in circles thinking that their captain had gone mad, Zoro was cackling like an idiot while Usopp shrieked and pulled at his thick, curly hair, Robin seemed quite pleased at the turn of events and Franky struck his signature pose, Brook was singing a love song while Carrot swooned at the apparent declaration of love, Kine'mon once again covered Momonosuke's face while clamoring that it was inappropriate to do in front of the young prince who was peering through his fingers with wide eyes, and Law was staring in silence with his mouth hanging open, totally floored. In all the chaos, Luffy delicately pulled back and slid his hand from Nami's chin, and she just gazed into his eyes in quiet wonder.

"What the hell are you doing to my Nami-swaaaaaaan?" Sanji howled as he yanked Luffy by the front of his shirt.

"It was a dare, Sanji. All I did was kiss her." He acted so casual about it, but when he glanced out of the corners of his eyes at her, he gave her a wink, which made Nami's heart pound fiercely in her chest like a war drum. _He… He meant to do that… _

"All you did was-? _Graaaaaaaah!_" Sanji released him as he instantly went into depressive mode and collapsed onto the deck. "My dreams… They're crushed… _I_ wanted Nami's first kiss…" At his utterance, Nami realized that Luffy had indeed stolen her first kiss, and she raised a hand to her lips with a fierce blush.

"What's the big deal? Let's get back to the game!" Luffy demanded hotly and flung his popsicle stick back into the cup. Nami looked at him, still blushing, and he looked at her with that satisfied smirk of his. It was definitely true. He wasn't playing it down. Luffy had done _exactly _what he had wanted to do, and he felt so naturally about it that he didn't feel like he owed anyone an explanation. Nami was unsure of what to do with the new information that her captain had feelings for her, but from the way her heart was beating and the flood of happiness running through her veins that brought a small smile to her face, she knew at least that it was not unwelcome. As the other participants settled down and rejoined the game, Nami slid a little closer to him. He didn't look at her, but slid his hand across the carpeted deck to grab her hand and wind his fingers around hers. Electricity traveled like a shockwave up her arm, and her fingers twitched to curl around his as she looked at him out of the corners of her eyes.

_You're mine now and I don't care who knows, _his playful gaze seemed to be saying. Nami flushed but did not retract her hand nor try to hide what was happening- because somehow, it felt natural to her too.


	23. Milk, Cookies, and Confessions of Love

Category: Friendship Fluff, Mild Romantic Fluff

Characters: Luffy and Nami

Requested by: flaky-bun (Tumblr)

Nami's eyelashes fluttered for a few moments before opening to reveal the nut-brown irises within. She sleepily gazed upwards at the stone ceiling, her mind still adrift in the fog of unconsciousness, and rubbed her eyes as the realized that she could not see well. As she rapidly ascended into the waking world, she realized that it was because it was still well into the night; the castle tower room was awash with the gloom, only barely lit by the soft moonlight streaming into from the window. She sat up in the bed, stretching her arms above her head before letting them fall limply back down to her side. She considered curling back up to try and return to sleep, but she knew there was little for it; because of her fever from the illness she caught in Little Garden, her sleep rhythm had become rather disrupted, as she slept and woke in odd intervals. All traces of drowsiness were gone from her system. Resigning herself to her fate, she elected to wander down to the kitchen to make herself a glass of warm milk, figuring that a walk in her still-fragile state would tire her out. She slipped the sheets off her legs and swung them off the bed, shuddering as the cold stone met her bare feet. She rose quietly, as Sanji and Luffy were snoring in hospital beds nearby; despite her Dr. Kureha's insistence that she be in her own room since she was, after all, a _lady_, the two stubborn boys insisted on being right at her side. Though Nami had very loudly voiced her objections, on the inside, it actually warmed her; the fact that they worried so much that they could not even stay in a separate room spoke volumes about how close they all were.

Instead of making her way to the bedroom door, she stole over to the window to peer through the cold glass; the snow was still falling steadily outside, and the frost had formed icy fern-like patterns on the window. She could still see the landscape of white outside, though, stretching across the horizon beneath an inky black sky full of gray, wispy clouds. Clustered in the white snow far below the mountain was a sprinkling of golden lights where the rest of her crew was currently awaiting her return. _I hope all of them are okay… Zoro, Vivi, Usopp. _The cold had seeped into her bones already, though she had only been out of bed for a minute or so, as she shuddered violently and her breath fogged in front of her face. She retreated from the window and snatched a small blanket from the end of her bed, throwing it around her shoulders and instantly warmed by the thick fibers. She curled her fingers into the fabric as she walked to the door, quite ready for her milk now, and her bare feet made gentle _slap-slap _noises against the bare stone. As she passed between Luffy and Sanji's beds, she took care to be quite; she didn't want to wake them. Annoyance aside, Sanji was still very much healing and needed his rest, and Luffy had tuckered himself out chasing the little reindeer, Tony Tony Chopper, around the castle begging for him to join his crew. As she thought about it, she chuckled despite her need to be quiet; Luffy threw his friendship at everyone he found interesting, regardless of whether they wanted to be on the receiving end or not. It was inevitable that the reindeer would join them; she knew it.

"Nami?" The navigator froze as the sleepy call echoed in the silent room, and she hunched her back as she slowly glanced over her shoulder. It seemed that her giggle had awoken her captain after all, as he was sitting up in bed sleeping rubbing his eyes and smacking his lips. "Is it morning? 'S pretty dark…" he mumbled as he looked around, his eyelids still heavy with sleep. Nami scurried over to the bed with a _shhhhhh, _not wanting Luffy to awaken the second sleeping crew member. He stared at her dumbly as she held a finger to her lips and rushed to his bedside; she could see the gears struggling to turn in his feeble mind. _You really have to wonder about his intelligence sometimes… _He had his moments of clarity, and then most times, he just seemed like a dunce. Nami liked that about him, though; he was his honest self. He neither wore a mask nor put up a front, not for anyone, and it was something she deeply admired about him, even if he came off as an idiot sometimes. She smiled sweetly as he whispered, "It's not morning, is it?"

"No, it's still nighttime. I just got up to go get some warm milk. Do you want to come with me?" Nami knew she should offer, because Luffy was going to come with her anyway wanting to know what she was doing. At the promise of a beverage, which was arguably akin to food, Luffy nodded eagerly and hopped out of the bed with a happy cry. As Sanji grumbled something and turned on his side, Nami hissed at her captain to be quiet, and with wide eyes he clapped his hands over his mouth. His sleepy eyes had brightened into his usual, happy ones. He kept his mouth covered as he followed Nami out of the bedroom, and as he watched her gently shut the door behind her.

"All right, you can talk now, just not too loud, okay? Chopper and Dr. Kureha are sleeping somewhere in here, too," she instructed firmly as she gathered the displaced blanket around her shoulders again. He dropped his hands, but seemed eager on continuing his silent vigil, and only nodded vehemently. Nami thus set off down the castle hallways, Luffy plodding along behind. Rays of moonlight streamed in lines across the stone floor, spilling in from the evenly placed windows that framed the white world outside. Every so often, the wind whirled beyond the glass, scratching at it with eager fingers as it tried to creep into any available crevice and invade the castle to rob it of its warmth. The castle really wasn't the best insulated, and several wisps of chilled air managed to worm their way inside, dropping the temperature considerably; even with the blanket, Nami just barely shivered.

"Nami? Are you cold?" Luffy whispered over her shoulder. She looked up and nearly jumped a foot in the air when she realized how close he was; one wrong move and she could have kissed him. Her face flushed red, bringing a little heat to the chilled skin, as she reminded herself that Luffy had no regard for personal space.

"It is a little chilly in here, but I'm okay," she answered honestly and moved to begin walking again. However, she instead found Luffy's lanky arms wrapping around her middle, and his chin plopping down on her shoulder. "What are you doing?!"

"I'm warming you up." _Luffy also has no regard for appropriate behavior, _she thought with a grimace, but made no move to shake him off, because though she was loathe to admit it, she could feel his body heat spreading across her back already, chasing away the ice that had crystallized on her bones. She exhaled deeply and slithered out of the blanket to throw it over his head, and felt as he wriggled about to settle it over himself and pull the soft blanket around the both of them. "Hehe, it's soft!" he snickered as he rubbed his cheek against it. _You're the one who's soft… __**in the head**__. _With his arms still around her, he pointed forward and grunted, "Onward, to food!" Nami had no idea that he intended to walk in an embrace, but it honestly wasn't shocking, either. Luffy wasn't going to take no for an answer; together, they waddled forward together like a pair of penguins, shuffling down the hall with the blanket swishing about, and Nami was glad that no one else in the castle was awake to see such foolishness. She didn't mind that much, though. Wrapped in Luffy's arms with him pressed against her, she didn't feel the chill, icy air touch her any more.

They made it to the kitchen without event, and though it wasn't necessary any longer Luffy still clung to Nami as she went about making them two mugs of warm milk. She poured some into a silver kettle and set it on the doctor's stove, the set about locating some cookies or other sweet snack that would do well with the warm, creamy beverage. As she rifled through the cabinets, peering at various boxes and jars, she became increasingly aware of the repeated puffs of his breath against her neck; he seemed not to mind, though, his black eyes searching the various contents as Nami searched for a snack. "Ooh! Look, Nami! Chocolate cookies!" he grinned when Nami pulled down a box of them, and since that was what he obviously wanted, she waddled with him over to the counter to arrange them on a plate.

"Please don't get crumbs on me," she sighed deeply as he snatched one up and stuffed it into his mouth. He grunted affirmation through a mouthful of crumbly cookie, and with a bemused smile and the realization that she was indeed going to become a crumb-cake, she carried the plate over to the table and set it down. By this time the milk had warmed up, and she retrieved the kettle to pour the steaming concoction into two mugs. At this point Luffy decided it was the appropriate time to release her, and he grabbed the mug in two hands greedily. "Luffy, it's still too ho-" He was already guzzling it, and he recoiled with a screech.

"Ow! Isth hawt!" he whined as he stuck out his tongue and fanned it.

"I told you," she sighed as she settled into a chair, delicately blowing on the top of the milk before daintily sipping it. The top layer was the perfect temperature, and it filled her body with its warmth; she sank down into the chair with a contented sigh. Luffy hopped into a chair beside her, sitting on it like a bird perched on a branch, and held the half-drained cup of milk in his hands as he watched her with a blank expression. After a few minutes, she became uncomfortably with his persistent stare, and she flushed while she asked, "What? Do you want something else?"

"No," he shrugged as he stretched his arm to retrieve another cookie and munch on it thoughtfully. "I was just thinking about how bad it would have been if we didn't find you a doctor, Nami." Her eyes widened slightly at his serious and slightly sad tone. It was very rare that Luffy showed any emotion outside of rage and glee, and with a tilt of her head she scooched the chair closer.

"Luffy, what do you mean?"

"You were really sick, Nami," he murmured. His gaze dropped to the off-white, creamy milk in his cup, watching as streams of foamy goodness swirled about within. "I shoulda been more responsible… I'm no good as a captain if I can't take care of my crew, y'know? First you got sick, and then Sanji nearly died in the avalanche because I couldn't react fast enough…" Nami wondered for a moment if the milk or cookies had been a little past their due date, because she would have never imagined Luffy getting so blue. He despondently gazed down into the mug, seemingly unable to look up at her now. _He feels guilty… _"I got… kinda scared that if I kept up like this, you guys wouldn't wanna be in my crew anymore," he admitted as he sunk down into the chair, his skinny legs falling over the side as his shoulders slumped and his face saddened. Nami immediately reached out to cup her hands around his own, about to say something, when he added in a faint whisper, "Especially you, Nami…" Her cheeks flushed red, but she decided to address the addendum later. He needed her reassurance now.

"Luffy," she said firmly, and when he wouldn't look up at her, she raised a hand to his face to make him. "Don't ever doubt yourself. None of this is because you were irresponsible or weak. Sometimes bad things happen, and there's nothing you can do to prevent them." Nami knew that better than anyone. It was no one's fault that Arlong decided to target her island; it had just been bad luck. She smiled softly at him, the man who had saved her and her island and swept her away on this amazing, long, whirlwind adventure. "What matters is what you do with that bad thing, whether you decide to let it defeat you, or do all you can to fight it- and you're a fighter, Luffy. That's why we'll never, ever abandon you, especially me. My youth is all yours!" she promised. He gazed at her with that steady pout, but as she spoke the light returned to his eyes and the smile to his lips.

"Really?"

"Mmm-hmm. Not just me, everybody on this crew and everybody who joins later. We'll follow you wherever you go."

"Thanks, Nami!" he grinned widely and jumped forward to hug her. Nami stiffened as the hot milk sloshed over the cup and over her arm, stinging her a little bit, but she bore the pain to hug him back. "Man, I was so worried!" he snickered as he pulled back, and Nami discreetly rubbed off the milk before he could notice. "I don't know what I would do if my trusty navigator ever left me!"

"Get lost, I imagine," she mused as she leaned her cheek in her hand.

"Nah, that's Zoro's thing. But I wouldn't get very far, that's for sure," he chuckled as he rocked back and forth in the chair. It was then that she realized he had abandoned the mug to the table and was holding her hands. She tried to pull back, but he adamantly clung to them. "Nuh-uh. They're warm," he protested, and then to her astonishment, pulled them up to his face to hold them against his cheeks. "Ahh, much better…"

"You mean to tell me _you're_ the one who's cold now? What about your milk?" She sputtered, turning her face to try and hide her raging blush.

"Not warm enough." That sent her heart to pounding, and she just allowed her steadfast captain to use her hands as cheek-warmers, knowing that he would refuse any attempts to do otherwise. _Oh, brother, this guy… Almost as bad as Sanji! _"Hey, Nami?"

"Y-yeah?" she asked as she turned back to him, almost afraid of what he wanted. She jerked up in her chair when he suddenly leaned forward across the chairs to plant a kiss on the end of her nose, pulling her arms as her hands were still plastered over his cheeks. She gawked at him in pure amazement, thinking that for sure those cookies _must_ have been bad because he had just kissed her, for crying out loud, while he grinned stupidly a few centimeters from her face. "What the hell was that?!"

"I just wanted to try it, that's all. It felt nice, didn't it?" Nami swallowed and hunched her shoulders as she was the one to avert her gaze this time, flushing red at the shameful realization that she _had _enjoyed it.

"Y-yeah," she murmured shyly. _It's the cookies, definitely… We're both out of our minds, we __**gotta**__ be! I mean, me and Luffy? Come on! No way… _Though her thoughts were bent on denying it, she could not deny the way her heart was fluttering in her chest, sending butterflies of joy flapping through her body. "Wh-what brought that on…?"

"My youth is yours too, okay?" She looked at him out of the corners of her eyes, finding him with that serious stare again. In his own weird way, he was professing his feelings to her, though if it was as serious as love or a child-like crush, she wasn't entirely sure. Despite the uncertainty, Nami was certain of one thing: she didn't terribly mind it. With a sweet smile, she leaned forward to press her forehead against his, and she watched as he smiled giddily.

"Okay, Luffy."

"So, wanna go catch that reindeer?"


	24. Something Like That

Category: Mild Romantic Fluff

Characters: Luffy and Nami

Requested By: Star_dress03 (Ao3)

"Land! It's _laaaaaaaaaand_~!"

Upon hearing her captain's excited cheers and laughter drifting up from the figurehead of the ship, Nami dropped the last of the tangerines that she had been plucking from her meticulously-tended citrus trees and strolled over the railing that fenced in the private garden that Franky had constructed on the top level of the ship to peer out at the horizon. Sure enough, there was a rapidly growing smug on the clear blue horizon, marking the divide between the sapphire sea and the comparably lighter, cloudless sky. Luffy was hopping up and down on the lion that marked the front of the Thousand Sunny, and she gasped and leaned over the railing as he suddenly slipped on the lion's smooth mane and went falling off the side. She breathed a sigh of relief as his hand shot up to wrap several times around the figurehead and pull himself back up, and then shook her head. _Excitable as always. _

By the time that Nami had dropped off the tangerines in the kitchen for Sanji to use in one of his delectable creations and made her way onto the main deck, the rest of the crew had gathered to marvel at the very large island that they were rapidly approaching. Even from the considerable distance, they could tell that it was smothered in greenery, home to a massive forest; this got Luffy, Sanji, and Zoro's blood boiling, because a forest meant beasts to hunt and competition, while the more level-headed of them like herself, Chopper, and Usopp considered the unfavorable outcome of becoming lunch themselves.

After the excitement at Fishman Island (honestly, why would she describe it in such a way, because there was excitement of some sort at _every _island they went to thanks to their captain's uncanny ability to attract trouble), they were following the log pose to the next stop; apparently it was the forested island that had appeared before them. Judging from its appearance, the island was most likely uninhabited, and there was no telling how long it would be before the log pose adjusted and calculated their course to the next item on the agenda. There was nothing for it, though; Luffy would not stay put, and there would be an expedition to the island and likely some sort of commotion because of it.

"All right, settle down, all of you," Nami cried over the din of the rowdy boys arguing who would bring home dinner and Chopper bleating in the background to Robin about possible medicinal herbs and Brook singing at the top of his lungs. "_Someone _has to stay on the ship. There's no telling if there's someone else on this island with us, and we can't let the Sunny be vulnerable." They debated it for a minute before Franky and Ussop decided they would stay behind since they had a few cosmetic repairs to make to the Thousand Sunny. Thus, the rest of them piled out of the ship once it was docked and took the smaller boat to the island.

"This is _awesome!" _Luffy screeched with all the breath in his lungs as soon as his flip-flops hit the crystalline white sand. Nami scowled in displeasure as a few tropical birds burst from the canopy of the forest and went flapping off, startled by his outburst. That meant that any predators in the vicinity would also be alerted to their presence.

"Luffy, quiet down, will you? I was just saying that we don't know who else is here!"

"Lighten up, Nami," Zoro purred in amusement as he strolled in the sand past her, one of his katanas propped against his shoulder and a smirk on his lips. He then looked to his left where the little reindeer was waddling along the beach, his hooves sinking deep into the sand though he was small and light. "C'mon, Chopper, let's go catch dinner!" The reindeer jump-ed as he was addressed and nervously twiddled his front hooves while he looked shyly at the ground.

"Oh… I was going to go looking for medicinal herbs with Robin and Brook," he refused quietly, sweating. Zoro stared at him for a second with his good eye, making Chopper even more nervous, before he shrugged and went tromping up the shore.

"Suit yourself."

"Wait, Zoro, I'm coming too!" Luffy howled and raced after him, holding a hand on his hat to keep it from flying away while he guffawed in glee. Nami exhaled deeply, wondering if she should babysit the two hopeless losers or do the sensible thing and join the herb-hunting party. She felt someone brush up against her shoulder, and she didn't even have to turn her head to know it was Sanji, wiggling about with his hands clasped together while hearts beat in his eyes.

"Nami-swan, look at what I found you~!" he crooned while holding a tropical flower out to her. Normally Nami didn't cater to his voracious flirting, but the flower _was_ beautiful, a white hibiscus with hints of orange within the middle that quite matched the shade of her hair. She smiled serenely and tilted her head, giving him permission, and with a squeal he tucked the flower against her ear before melting into a puddle of lovey-dovey mush. Nami smirked and ran her fingers across the soft petals before continuing up the beach, deciding to tail Luffy and Zoro just in case they got into trouble. "Robin, why don't we all go together? This island is big, so we may get lost easily," she called over to the archaeologist, who was carrying little Chopper across the sand after witnessing his struggle.

"Good idea, Nami," she answered. Eventually Sanji recovered and ran after Zoro, screaming something about how he wouldn't let the "kelp-head" beat him and would "bring home the biggest beast for Nami-swan." Nami and the others continued at a much more leisurely pace, following the obvious trail of broken branches and disturbed forest floor that the rowdy boys left behind. Now that he was free of the swallowing sand, Chopper flitted through the decaying leaves, consulting a small book of medicinal herbs while he inspected the plants growing in the undergrowth. The rest of them assisted, with Nami and Robin actually trying to find things that looked like they would be useful while Brook pointed at pretty much everything and shouted, "Ohohoho, is this it?"

The island was definitely wild, similar to Little Garden, which Nami had contracted a deadly fever. The plants were clustered together; the trees fought one another for light, as the branches above Nami's head were a densely interwoven tapestry of green. The world wasn't just green, though; colorful fruits hung from the branches, and the various discarded pits littered about meant that their ever-hungry captain had sampled them as he tromped along. On the forest floor, the short bushes and ferns utilized other dyes, muted reds and blues, to try and collect the precious light waves the trees above did not use. Here and there, brilliant flowers like the one Nami wore had burst into bloom, attracting butterflies outfitted in similar brilliance. The jungle air was alive with the voices of hundreds of birds, all competing for the spotlight.

However, unlike the home of the giant warriors and massive beasts, this island possessed signs of previous life; as Nami poked through the various bushes, she could see crumbling stone, and through breaks in the towering trees, well-constructed stairways and arches of stone stood the test of time and endured the ever-encroaching presence of trawling ivy and other plants the grew in the cracks. As they delved deeper into the jungle, this became much more apparent, with the trees being replaced in many places with half-fallen temples and the remains of houses.

"It reminds me of the ruins in Skypeia," Robin remarked when she noticed Nami staring at them.

"Yeah, you're right. I wonder where all the people went?" she wondered aloud. Civilizations simply did not vanish, as their adventure to Skypeia had proven; something must have happened to them, but Nami could glean nothing from the silent stone. When they reached what they determined to be the core of the city on the island, pretty much all of the forest was gone, replaced with a concentric collection of stone buildings in various states of disrepair. Robin's interest had been piqued, and she announced her intent to investigate the ruins further. Nami elected to join her, while Chopper and Brooke remained on the outskirts of the jungle to continue hunting for useful medicine. Nami followed the archaeologist into the ruins, listening to her various explanations of architecture and deductions. Just as the others were amazed by her skill of analyzing weather patterns, Nami was equally enthralled by Robin's investigative powers. While Nami just saw rocks, Robin saw people, events, _importance._

After an hour or so of trekking around the deserted city, Nami was beginning to feel the strain.

"Robin, I'm going to go sit over there, okay? I'll catch up to you in a minute," she sighed as she meandered over to a set of steps that looked sturdy enough to support her and plopped down.

"All right. I won't go too far," the other woman answered before walking into the maze of ruins with naught more than a dismissive wave. With a deep exhale, Nami leaned back against the small temple's steps, tilted her head back as she tried to ignore the pain in her aching feet. _I wonder what trouble those three have gotten into, _she thought with a wry smile. Surely, Sanji, Zoro, and Luffy were on the trail of some massive creature or another, all arguing about who was going to bring it home as their prize. As much as they played around, though, they were all reliable, especially Luffy; time and time again, he had saved them and many others. Though he could be a headache sometimes, Nami definitely didn't regret joining him on his journey. After all, it led to moments like this; surrounded by the ghost of the ancient civilization, with the tropical air and the sounds of the forest thick around her, Nami felt at peace. She never would have been able to see something so grand if she was still stuck under Arlong's thumb. Closing her eyes with a contented smile, Nami laid further back against the stone.

With a sickening crack and a shuffling sound, the stone behind her crumbled away and swallowed both her and her alarmed scream.

Nami went tumbling head-over-heels down a sharp incline, and through her thick tangerine hair and her limbs she could see the light vanish as the stone crumbled down and enclosed the hole she had just made. She landed at the base of the hill roughly on her back, her head smacking against cold, well-packed earth; she lay there for a moment, groaning, before opening her eyes. It didn't do much good, because there was no light to be had.

"Crap," she grumbled and slowly stood up, waving her arms about as she tried to find a wall. Squinting as she tried to glean _something _from the blackness, she slowly shuffled about, turning in a circle. "Hello? Robin, can you hear me?" Her voice echoed about her, indicating that she had fallen into quite a large cavern. After a few minutes of struggling, her hand met the rough, uneven surface of hewn stone, and she used this to shuffle along in one direction. With her luck, she was going in a huge circle, or the path would lead to a dead-end. "Help! I'm down here!" The only answer she got was her own voice calling back to her. Alone in the dark, Nami began to grow nervous; she had watched the hole she had entered be swallowed up by collapsing stone, so it wasn't like they could find her quickly. She felt like the cavern was absorbing her words, preventing them from reaching the world above. Tears began to sting the corners of her eyes. "Luffy! Hello? I need help! _Luffy!_" she wailed miserably.

Suddenly, as she turned what she felt to be a corner, light blazed in the distance. Without thinking, Nami rushed toward it, too scared in that moment to wonder what lay within it. The circle of brightness grew rapidly larger as Nami dashed toward it, and then it enveloped her, warm and welcoming.

"… Huh?"

"Huh?" Luffy asked as he looked up from his perch on the carcass of a wild boar, chewing on about his tenth piece of weird fruit that he had found as Robin, who had appeared from the undergrowth, came to deliver them news. "Nami's gone missing?"

"_Nooooo!_ Not my Nami-swan! I'm coming for you, Nami!" Sanji wailed and shot off in the direction that Robin had come from, then zoomed back wheezing, "Where did you say you lost her, Robin?" Luffy slid off the boar and grabbed it by its leg to drag it along behind him as the swordsman, the frantic cook, and himself accompanied the archaeologist back to the last place Nami had been. All they found was a half-collapsed temple.

"She was sitting here. Ten minutes later, I came back and she had vanished," Robin reported. Chopper and Brook had also joined them from their expedition within the forest for medicine, and they all surrounded the building in a semi-circle, puzzled. "I didn't hear any commotion or disturbance. It's like she just disappeared into thin air."

"Maybe the building _ate_ her," Luffy responded, feeling like it was perfectly sensible given the circumstances. Sanji shot up to his side so fast that his hair ruffled and his hat nearly flew off his head.

"You idiot! Buildings don't _eat_ people!" Luffy plugged his ear as Sanji very rudely screeched into it, and made a sour face while looking at the building.

"Hey, what's that?" he asked and pointed to a very odd-looking thing sticking out of the displaced stones. Robin walked up to the stone to pluck a bedraggled hibiscus flower from between two stone bricks.

"Luffy may be right."

"_What?" _Everybody else screamed in unison.

"Not literally, of course. It looks like the structure isn't the sturdiest, and this temple may have once had an entrance. The bricks could have shifted and Nami fell into the cavern within, and the entrance closed up. Either that or it collapsed on top of her."

"Waaaaah! Don't say _that_, Robin!" Sanji wailed as tears began to pour down his cheeks, distraught at the idea of the navigator's untimely end. Luffy blinked and stared hard at the crumbling building, then wound his arm up to deliver a savage punch to it. The bricks exploded into the air upon his impact, and while everyone screamed and ran for cover as they rained down, Luffy could feeling his stretchy arm ricocheting through a cavern hidden behind the temple. He yanked his arm back hard, delivering a second blow to the already assaulted structure, and he blew the rest of it to pieces, revealing a rather large entrance into the ground.

"Told ya! It _ate_ her!" he snickered at Sanji while pointing at the hole.

"Are you trying to kill us, you idiot?" he just snapped back, and Luffy's shoulders sagged, not sure why he wasn't grateful to him for solving the problem of Nami's disappearance. Zoro, meanwhile, was crouched at the edge of the hole, listening for an echo after dropping a brick down.

"It goes down pretty far, but it's an incline she could've rolled down and escaped without much harm," he reported while picking at his teeth with his fingernail. Luffy marched up to the hole, quite exciting that something interesting was happening (hunting on this island was pretty boring, he had been dismayed to find, because the animals were all regular-sized), and grinned widely as he peered down into the dark abyss.

"Yo, Nami? You down there?" he hollered, giggling at the sound of his own voice bouncing around the tunnel. His face then went blank as he felt an alarmingly strong presence rocketing up the tunnel towards them, and he only had just enough time to throw himself into a backbend as Nami came exploding out of the tunnel, her fist poised to strike Luffy in the chin in a savage uppercut. She was so exceptionally fast that he actually felt her knuckles brush against him, leaving a minute stinging sensation at the edge of his chin. He flipped backwards, one hand holding his hat while the other slapped against the ground, and vaulted himself a good distance from the navigator while she turned her attention on Zoro.

"Nami, what the hell-?" he growled as he grabbed one of his blades out and used the scabbard to block her Climatact. As they met, wind whirled around them from the force of their respective impacts, buffeting the bewildered Straw Hat crew. Nami said nothing as she pushed against Zoro, her face strangely blank and her strength absurdly abnormal; Zoro was actually sliding backwards in the loamy soil, gritting his teeth as his arms shook with the force of Nami's strength. "What the hell is going on?!"

"_Trenta fleur_!" Calm and collected as ever, Robin crossed her arms in her familiar stance and hands burst from the ground where Nami was standing; the navigator was too quick, however. She vanished with a shimmer to reappear behind Robin, swinging her Climatact with crushing power at the startled woman. Luffy, who had been standing there watching this entire time, surged forward, Armament Haki coating his hand as he grabbed ahold of the navigator's weapon just as it was going to strike Robin's skull. Robin hopped away, a thin sheen of sweat on her face as she left the fight to her captain. The Climatact shuddered in Luffy's grip as Nami tried to force it free, but he wasn't budging.

"Nami, what are you doing, attacking everybody like this?" he demanded hotly with narrowed eyes. She just stared at him, her normally bright brown eyes glazed over like she was unconscious and her expression hard and emotionless as stone. Without so much as a word, her leg flew up to collide with Luffy's chin, and again he had to throw himself backwards to avoid suffering a severe blow; in the process, he let go of the Climatact, and Nami hopped away from him.

"Nami-swan! Snap out of i- Whoa!" As Sanji tried to beseech her, she directed her attention to him, and he used his Sky Jump to leap out of the way of her Climatact. He hopped lightly into the sky, far above Nami's head where he thought he was out of her reach; however, much to their collective shock, as Nami crouched down the earth buckled beneath her, and then she rocketed upwards, jumping to Sanji's level. All he could do was cross his arms in a block to shield himself as Nami struck him with her Climatact, so hard that a mini-shockwave was generated at the site of impact, and in less than a second he had crashed back down to the earth like a meteor. He reeled in the crater his body had made, woozy and holding his head, then gasped as Nami landed in front of him and held the rod above her head to deliver a finishing blow with that same, lifeless expression. "Nami-!"

"Hold it!" Luffy growled as he wrapped his arms around her Climatact as she swung it down. He planted his feet firmly in the ground against the force, still sliding a few feet but managing to dissipate the massive energy the woman had placed in her swing and allowing Sanji to scramble away. Luffy gritted his teeth as Nami looked over her shoulder at him. Nami wasn't aware of anything she was doing, he knew that much, but with all of them pulling their punches it was going to be hard to stop the destructive force that she had become. He gasped as she dropped the Climatact and suddenly appeared in his face, her fist flying with her. As he whipped his head to avoid it, his black hair swirled and the hat flew off his head in the buffeting gale that followed her blow. _I've got no choice! _He thought as he unwound his hands from her discarded weapon and jumped back before she could follow-up the attack. He crouched down, stretching the arteries within his body to pump his blood at an incredible rate; steam began pouring from his skin, which was turning a pink hue, and he could feel the oxygen flow in his body maximizing. "Gear Two!"

"Luffy! You're gonna use _that_?" Chopper squeaked from where he was quickly bandaging Sanji's bleeding head.

"I gotta stop her! Nami would be upset if she hurt any of us!" he argued back. Nami wasn't in control of herself, and whenever Luffy woke her up from whatever spell she was under, she would be devastated to learn she hurt one of them. Nami's sadness was something he never wanted to see again. With a roar, he jumped forward to met Nami head on, and the world trembled as they met in mid-air. Even in his Second Gear, Nami kept up with him well, meeting him blow for blow. Though it was only seconds, the exchanged close to fifty blows with neither overpowering the other. As he somersaulted in the air to escape a jab of hers, landing on the ground with a frustrated hiss, he realized that he wasn't going to be able to subdue her with only his Gear Two. _I don't want to use this, but there's no other way! _"You guys brace yourself!" he announced loudly before straightening up and concentrating all his willpower into a thunderous force. _Conqueror's Haki! _An incredible pressure slammed down on the area, and even Zoro and Sanji grunted and fell on their hands and knees at the incredible force Luffy was exerting. Brook and Robin were barely conscious, and poor Chopper slumped down, fainting beside Sanji. Nami wobbled unsteadily, her face rapidly going pale as sweat poured off her body, and her eyes rolled back into her head. As soon as her eyes drifted shut and she fell forward, Luffy ceased the Haki and jumped forward to catch the unconscious woman in his arms. Her head flopped limply against his shoulder, and he could feel her entire body shuddering as she panted heavily. He wrapped his arms tightly around her, expression growing sad. "I'm sorry, Nami… I had no other choice."

Luffy carried the unconscious girl on his back as they descended into the tunnel. Luffy was convinced that whatever had caused her to go berserk was down there, and he wanted to punch it. A lot. Maybe a thousand times or so. Sanji used his lighter as a small light to lead them through the large passageway, and soon they came upon an exit. As they walked through, the ceiling above them opened up to reveal the jungle above, the tangled roots of trees clinging to the gradually crumbling ceiling; water was dripping from them, collecting in a pool at the center of the small cave with continuous _plip-plop-plip_ sounds. The walls around them were not earth, but carved stone like the tumbling buildings above, with very faded etchings of various symbols. In the center of the pool was a statue of a very stylized human being. Various piles of stone were sticking out of the small pool of water, having fallen down from the thinned ceiling above.

"This must have been a place of worship of some sort, connected to the temple above," Robin frowned as she approached the stoned-in pool and looked around with narrowed eyes. "I wonder if Nami fell victim to some sort of curse?"

"C-c-c-curse?" Chopper cried in alarm and clung to Zoro's leg, shivering violently. Robin looked back at him in amusement.

"I'm only joking, Chopper. Relax." He breathed a sigh of relief, but was hesitant to release his grip on Zoro's leg to plod forward. Then, suddenly, with a loud hiss, something sprang at him from the shadows. He screamed loudly and curled up into a shuddering ball, and Zoro wasted no time drawing his sword to strike whatever dared to attack their little doctor. Luffy stared blankly as the limp body of a well-sized snake fell beside the terrified reindeer. Crying, Chopper ran over to Zoro and shimmied up his side to perch on his shoulder, hugging his head as he stared at the dead snake with tears running over his furry face.

"Think this thing coulda done it?" Zoro grunted as he turned the body of the snake over with the tip of his sword. Robin crouched down beside it, hand on her chin as she studied the body of the snake.

"It's definitely some kind of venomous snake, based on the shape of its scales and its coloration. Luffy, check and see if Nami has any snake bites." Luffy did as commanded, glancing over the parts of Nami that were in his direct line of sight.

"Hey, look at this." On Nami's ankle was a pair of perfectly round puncture marks. Chopper, having recovered from his near-death experience, jumped down from Zoro to also inspect the snake.

"Oh! I know this species. I saw it in a textbook about venomous snakes. This is a rare species of domesticated snake used in war. Its venom makes a person extremely hostile, so old civilizations coated arrows and spears with it, making their enemies go crazy and attack friend and foe alike," he explained matter-of-factly. "It has a similar effect of Luffy's Gear Two, increasing blood flow. That's why Nami was so much stronger than normal!"

"So Nami isn't gonna die?" Sanji asked hopefully, close to bawling again.

"Nope!" Chopper quipped with a shake of his head. "Its effects wear off fairly quickly, due to the increase in circulation, and it has no other effects besides the crazed behavior. Nami should be perfectly fine when she wakes up, aside from the other adverse effects from the doping." Sanji sank to the floor in relief. Luffy sighed deeply, not sure he really like this particular adventure. He felt Nami shift on his back, her head bumping against his and her tangerine strands mingling with his own black ones.

"Let's go back to the Sunny, guys."

* * *

Nami groaned as she slowly returned to the waking world, tossing her head slowly from side-to-side and stretching out her aching body. She felt the comforting caress of sheets against her skin and the gentle embrace of a mattress underneath her body. _I'm back on the Sunny? _She thought as she cracked an eye open. Sure enough, the familiar wood pattern of the bowels of the ship greeted her above her head, barely discernable in the small amount of moonlight streaming in through the window. She turned her head to see a desk littered with medical supplies, the bottles glowing silver, and was quite alarmed to realize that she was in the sick bay. Then it all came flooding back to her, the snake flying out of the shadows, its fangs sinking into her skin, the feeling of the venom streaming through her veins as she rapidly descended into unconsciousness… She wasn't sure how Luffy and the others found her, but they must have quickly, otherwise she would be a corpse trapped underground for eternity by now. It must have been a nasty venom, because her body felt like she had been buried under the weight of that temple for hours, plus she had slept the day away. She groaned as she tried to sit up, failing miserably and flopping back down against the bed with a huff.

"Nami? Do you want to sit up?"

At the sound of her captain's voice, Nami's eyes searched for him, and she found him lying on the floor. She hadn't noticed him in the gloom; he was stretched out on the floor, and had had his hat covering his face as he slept. She blushed as she realized that he had been sleeping there because he had likely been very worried about her.

"Yes, please." Luffy languidly sat up on his knees beside the bed and helped her sit up, pushing up the pillows for her so her back wouldn't be resting against the hard bedframe. He then crossed his arms on the edge of the bed, gazing up at her with an oddly unreadable expression. "I'm sorry I worried you all. How did you manage to find me, with the entrance closed up like that?"

"Nami, do you not remember what happened?"

"No," she answered, growing concerned. Had something else happened besides the snakebite? What could it be? Luffy stared at her a moment, as if he were hesitant to answer. When he told her, she realized why the truth was such a heavy burden for him.

"That venom made you go crazy. You attacked all of us. You even gave Sanji a good whack in the head." Nami swallowed as an uncomfortable lump formed in her throat, and her fingers curled into the edge of the comforter as her hands began to tremble slightly.

"I… I did?" He nodded firmly.

"Yeah. I had to use my Conqueror's Haki to knock you out. It was nuts. Even in Second Gear, I couldn't beat you." Nami's bottom lip trembled as her eyes widened in horror. Luffy was a force to be reckoned with at base power, let alone when he went into Gear Mode. If he had been forced to resort to that and Haki, Nami must have been incredibly powerful- and incredibly dangerous. She turned her face away as tears brimmed in the corners of her eyes; because of her carelessness, she had put her crewmates in danger, and worst of all, she had been the very source of that danger.

"Luffy! I'm so sorry! If I had only been more careful-!" she gasped as a sob slipped out of her. She trembled slightly as her emotions took control of her. _I can't believe it… How can I face all of them after this? _She sat in the bed, silently crying and unable to look her captain in the eyes. Suddenly she felt his hand slide across the top of the comforter to curl around hers, holding it tightly.

"Hey, Nami. Look at me." Though Nami didn't want to, his quiet voice called her like a siren song, and she found herself turning to look at him anyway. She probably looked a hot mess, ugly crying like that, but Luffy didn't care. He never cared about things like that. He never saw people for the outside, always the inside. That's what she loved so much about him, his honesty and his compassion. Even without him saying anything, Nami already felt soothed. "None of us blame you for this, you know. We weren't angry."

"You weren't?"

"Nuh-uh. We were pretty scared y'know. We didn't know what happened to you, and we didn't want to hurt you. Especially not me." Nami sniffed as she used her other hand to wipe the tears from her eyes and cheeks.

"Luffy…" she whispered as her heart swelled with gratitude, and a little bit of something else, too, though she wasn't quite sure what it was. "Thanks." He smiled sweetly at her.

"I get what you're feeling. I'd never forgive myself if I hurt any of my _nakama_, especially my trusty navigator." The way he singled her out made her heart jump for some reason, and reflexively, she squeezed the hand that was curled around hers. He grinned and laid his head on his arms, giving her that signature little laugh of his. His face then fell a little bit. "Actually… I really did go a little too far, using Conqueror's Haki on you… I didn't want to, but… I knew you would be sad if you hurt one of us. You can forgive me, right, Nami?"

"Of course!" she cried without hesitation. "If you hadn't done that, Luffy, who knows what would have happened? You did what you had to do to stop me," she reassured him. It was funny how she had needed reassuring and he had given it, and so quickly the tables had turned. Luffy, at just those words quite placated, returned to grinning widely.

"Good! Oh! Now that you're awake, you should want medicine, right? Do you want me to wake Chopper up?" he offered as he jerked upright, already slipping away to do so. Though she ought to, Nami grabbed onto his hand, strangely not wanting it to part from hers.

"No. I'm okay. Just… stay with me a little while, okay?" He blinked at her as he stood over her, confusion clear on his expression, then shrugged.

"Okay." With that, he jumped over her to settle into the small space between her and the wall. "That floor is so uncomfortable though, so mind if I sleep here?" Nami's face had become a wildfire, and she just nodded weakly as Luffy did exactly that, snickering to himself as he snuggled under the covers beside her. Feeling his sturdy arm slide between the pillows behind her head to pop out and wrap loosely around her shoulder, she gripped the comforter tightly, wondering what exactly she had gotten herself into. She gulped as she stared down at the patterned fabric. _I mean, it's just Luffy. It's not like anything'll happen. There isn't anything between me and Luffy… nothing at all… _she told herself, but it really wasn't helping. Nami was already quite aware what was happening to her and she was both exhilarated and scared. She shyly turned to look at him to find his gaze locked on her, and that made her stiffen. A bead of sweat rolled down the side of her head as he turned on his side to continue staring at her. "Hey, Nami?"

"Huh?"

"You'll never leave, right?" The abruptness of the question threw Nami for more of a loop than his weird behavior. _Maybe… Maybe there __**is**__ something. _

"What? Of course not. Why do you ask?" His gaze dropped down to the sheets as he shyly scratched the side of his head.

"I dunno… With everything that happened today, it just made me really sad to think about you not being around anymore. I mean, I wouldn't like it if anybody left or anything, but with you, it's… different, I guess. It's hard to explain," he muttered. Nami stared at him, then chuckled. No, Luffy wasn't the type to understand what was going on in his head. She smiled as she adjusted the pillows to slip back down into the bed, snuggling up a little closer to him. As he blinked down at her, she leaned up to gently press a kiss to his lips. He just sat there for a second, and then like she expected, he leaned into it, the hand still between the pillows slipping into her tangerine hair to curl the ends around his fingers. Nami smiled happily up at him as she pulled back, and he was smiling too.

"Don't worry, Luffy. I get it."

"I'm glad _one_ of us does." That made her laugh, and with a contented sigh, she wrapped her arms around Luffy's chest and buried her face into it. She felt Luffy's lanky arm slide around her waist to pull her close. She felt his soft breathing in her ear. "So… Does this mean you love me, Nami?"

"Something like that. Is that what you were trying to explain to me?"

"… Something like that. I think. I dunno, I've never had a girlfriend before, am I doing it right?" Nami laughed as she patted his back reassuringly.

"Just be yourself, Luffy, just like always. You don't have to worry about me leaving, not now or ever… I'll be by your side for a long time yet. Just like you're there for me." He let out a small groan, the gears trying to turn in his brain, but he soon gave up with a frustrated grumble. She closed her eyes as his grip tightened around her and he rested his chin on the top of her head.

"Okay… I can do that, I guess. G'night, Nami."

"Goodnight, Luffy."

Nami wasn't sure when or how it happened, but somehow, she had fallen in love with the boisterous, dorky captain of hers- and more remarkably, Luffy had fallen in love with her. She didn't know what that spelled for their future, but held in his embrace as the moonlight washed over them and the waves gently rolled outside, Nami really didn't care. She knew she could rely on Luffy, just like he could rely on her.

Or something like that, anyway.


	25. Look at All Those Choppers!

Category: Friendship Fluff

Characters: Tony Tony Chopper

Requested By: Anonymous User

Chopper's hard reindeer hooves thunked against the wooden deck of the Thousand Sunny as he tottered out of the bowels of the ship to stroll out onto the main deck; as he walked out of the door, the loud clanking of his hooves became muffled by the embrace of the cushiony, green, grass-like carpet that spread across it, courtesy of the industrious and borderline over-the-top shipwright Franky. The aforementioned cyborg was currently stretched out on a beach chair beside the balustrade of the ship, hands behind his head, sunglasses on his eyes, and a little bit of white sunscreen shining on his metal nose as he soaked up the sun's warming rays. Chopper really wasn't sure how a man that a majority metal could get an appreciable tan, but the doctor was at least glad that he was taking the appropriate steps to avoid major sunburn and eventual skin cancer, at least. Zoro was asleep, as usual, propped up against the mast, Robin and Nami were on the third level of the ship (Nami was watering her tangerines and Robin reading one of her many voluminous history tomes), Sanji was in the kitchen preparing lunch from the delicious aromas pouring out of the slightly ajar kitchen door, Brook was probably down in the bowels of the ship sitting in the sitting area gawking at the fish swimming by the glass sides, Usopp was in his workshop working on the latest of his modifications for his slingshot, and Luffy was perched on the figurehead of the ship screaming into the wind- just a usual day aboard the Thousand Sunny.

Since everyone was too busy to do something fun with him, Chopper was forced to find his own source of entertainment for the day; he walked to a bucket of fishing rods in the corner of the main deck and picked out his special fishing rod, a child's model that was the perfect size for his little reindeer frame, before tottering over to a barrel beside the side of the ship. With a grunt of exertion, he jumped up and grabbed onto the rim of the barrel with the rod clenched in his teeth, his feet kicking wildly as he pulled himself onto the top of the wooden container. He sat on it for a moment, wheezing to catch his breath, before making himself comfortable and casting his line into the water with a contented sigh. The water was calm today, barely lapping at the sides of the ship, and spread out like the shiny surface of a glass table across the horizon. The bobber made tiny ripples in the water as it shifted in the current, and Chopper hoped that below the opaque surface of the sea a tasty fish was circling the bait on his hook, ready to bite. His mouth began to water and he giggled a bit as he imagined the delectable bite that Sanji would cook up. He especially hoped that it was a large catch; because he was so small, he could never hook the big fish by himself, Zoro or Sanji would always have to help him reel it in.

_This time, I'm gonna catch it by myself! They're gonna be so proud! _He thought in anticipation and wiggled a bit on the top of the barrel. He froze, however, when he felt the fishing rod twitch; he leaned forward slightly as he watched the bobber jiggle for a second, and then gasped when it was sucked underneath the water in one swift motion. He jumped to his feet on the barrel as he whipped the rod back with all his strength, and a beam of satisfaction appeared on his furry face when he felt the fish jerk on the line, obviously hooked. His front hoof frantically whirled the spindle of the rod to draw in the quivering line, and from the force working against him, his wish of a large catch had been granted.

"Ahahaha! I got a big fish, I got a big fish!" he squealed as he did a little dance on top of the barrel. In his glee, he forgot for a moment just what he was going up against and let a little too much slack into the line. His elation quickly morphed into acute fear as he was lurched forward, right off the barrel over the side of the ship and into the open air. A shriek spilled from his mouth as the bright blue ocean water came up to meet him. _I'm gonna droooooooown! _

Then, instead of falling, he was just hanging suspended in open space. He blinked his teary eyes for a minute, puzzled, and gazed down at the still-calm ocean water below. He then wailed and flapped his arms and legs about frantically because he had no idea what was happening.

"Chopper, relax. I've got you." The frightened reindeer glanced over his shoulder as he was addressed to find Zoro leaning over the edge of the ship with a firm grip on the back of his striped shirt, holding him aloft. At the sight of the swordsman and obvious realization that he was safe, Chopper deflated like a balloon, immensely relieved; the man easily pulled him back over the edge of the ship and set him safely down on the barrel, then grabbed the rod- which he had miraculously managed to hold on to despite his panicky fit- from his hooves and with one powerful jerk brought a slippery, flopping fish onto the deck. His smile instantly fell off his face.

Chopper sunk down onto the barrel in disappointment; the fish was barely bigger than himself, hardly the trophy he had thought it was, and frankly dull-looking, just your average, every-day silvery fish. Chopper felt tears sting the corners of his eyes as he felt Zoro's intense gaze on him; though the swordsman only had one eye, his glare still had the intensity of a lion's. Chopper just knew that he was going to be scolded for doing something so obviously reckless. His bottom lip wobbled pitifully. He knew he was small and not such a beastly fighter as Luffy or Zoro, but that didn't mean he had to be protected all the time. He wanted to be tough too, but no matter how hard he tried, things ended up like this a lot.

"I'm sorry," he sniffled before Zoro could get the chance to chastise him. "I just wanted to catch a big fish… I caused all that trouble and look at it, it's not even that big…" Wallowing in self-pity as he gazed miserably at his pathetic catch, his tiny shoulders were drooped and his head hung low; he could not even bring himself to look up at Zoro because he knew there would be an angry, disappointed expression on his face. He tried to keep the swordsman from knowing that he was crying, because he knew Zoro would call him a weakling for crying, too, but it was hard to hide the quiver in his squeaky voice or the tremble in his shoulders. Chopper just sat there pitifully, just waiting for his punishment. Then, unexpectedly, he felt Zoro's big, rough hand plop down onto his head, squishing his hat down as he affectionately patted him.

"What are you talking about? That's a great catch- right, Luffy?" Chopper looked up with his black eyes swimming with tears as he smirked down at him before nodding his chin at the captain, who had hopped down from the figurehead and strolled over to investigate the commotion, and, subsequently, Chopper's prize. Luffy was squatted down next to the hyperventilating fish with a stupid grin, poking the poor creature in the gills.

"Hell yeah! Sanji can make us all a great snack with this! _Shishishishi_!" he snickered devilishly as he picked up the near-dead fish by the tail and hopped to his feet while cupping his other hand to his mouth. "Yo, Sanji! Catch!" he hollered across the deck of the ship. When the kitchen door opened further and the blonde cook appeared, the captain wasted no time flinging the hapless fish and sending it hurtling towards him.

"What're you hollering about?" Sanji snapped back while standing there with his hands on his hip. He made a _plfffft _noise as the slimy fish smacked into his face, and he stood there stiffly as it slowly slid down his face while Luffy cackled hysterically, rolling around on the deck holding his belly while he kicked his legs. When the fish finally slipped off Sanji's chin and landed on the deck with a wet slap, the cook was scowling in irritation and had a vein popping out of his head. "Luffy! You idiot; watch where you're flinging shit!" he yelled at him before bending down to retrieve the fish with a weary sigh. He held it up by the tail, rubbing his chin as he considered it thoughtfully. "I could make some decent sushi with this… Thanks," he said before whirling on his heel and disappearing back into his sanctum to work his magic on Chopper's catch. The little reindeer was still huddled on the barrel.

"Did I really do a good job?" he murmured aloud, looking up at Zoro with hopeful eyes, and the green-haired man flashed him a grin.

"Sure did, but next time, just make sure someone is with you, Chopper. We can't let our little fish-wrangler become fish food, now can we?" he mused and patted him on the head again. Under the praise and affectionate caress, Chopper snickered in delight and beamed. _He isn't mad, and more than that, he praised me! I did a good job!_

Chopper felt like he was walking on clouds for the short time that Sanji spent preparing the fish. The rest of the crew, attracted by all the shouting, had meandered out onto the deck and given him the opportunity to dramatically re-enact his battle with the fish with just a wee bit of embellishment, and thankfully Zoro didn't contradict him, only sat leaned up against the side of the ship with his arms crossed and approvingly nodding along- or bobbing his head in his sleep, who really knew? The crew was enthralled with his story, gasping every time he dramatically whipped his arms in his re-enactment of the grapple and cheering at his victory. When he was finished, he rubbed his hoof under his nose with a great big smile as they all complimented him on his great contribution to their lunch, and with no time at all Sanji was strolling out brandishing a tray of beautifully crafted sushi. "As the brave wrangler of the fish, I think it only fair that Chopper be the first to try it, don't you agree?" he grinned and held out the tray in front of him. Chopper breathed in sharply with a watering mouth as his hungry eyes drank in Sanji's masterpiece.

"No way! I wanna try it!" Luffy whined and stretched his hand over Sanji's shoulder in an attempt to swipe a piece, but Sanji swiftly whirled about and crushed his rubbery hand underfoot, leaving the captain squirming and whining while the cook glared at him sharply.

"Stop being rude! You'll get yours in a minute!" he snapped before turning back to Chopper with a serene smile. "Now, here you go, Chopper," he said and held out the tray again. Chopper beamed as he picked up a piece of the yummy-looking sushi and popped it into his mouth; immediately his face scrunched up in delight at the savory flavor of the fish and the delightful chewiness of the rice.

"It's delicious, Sanji! Thanks!" he beamed, immensely glad that his catch had produced such a tasteful creation. As Sanji straightened up to give the rest of the crew a piece of the sushi, Chopper's face immediately went blank as a tingling sensation began in his body, making his fur stand on end. "Um, Sanji… I-I don't feel so good," he whispered as his stomach began to flip around uncomfortably inside of him, and he grimaced as he tenderly held his furry belly. Sanji hurriedly slapped a piece of sushi that Luffy was about to inhale, sending it flying into the sea much to the hungry captain's disappointment, and looked at the reindeer incredulously.

"What?!" Chopper was too preoccupied with the strange bristling sensation to respond; he sunk down onto his bottom on the carpeted deck, quivering and whimpering as he held his stomach and felt like all the cells in his body were pulsing. Abruptly the strange feeling ceased, and he exhaled deeply as he melted against the deck.

"Man… That was so weird, guys. I dunno what just happened," he laughed lightly and looked up with a smile, then took on a confused expression when he realized the entire crew was staring at him open-mouthed. "What is it?" Still gawking shamelessly, Nami pointed to his left, and as he turned his head to look at what she was motioning to he found his own face staring back at him. He and the other face screamed at exactly the same time and jumped to his- their- feet. "What's going on?!" they wailed in unison.

"Hahahahaha! There are two Choppers! This is _awesome_!" Luffy howled in laughter, obviouslt excited at the bizarre development. Sanji scowled as he whacked him over the head with the empty tray, as he had tossed all of the apparently poisonous, clone-producing sushi over the side of the ship.

"_You idiot_! This isn't funny! What if he clones indefinitely?" As he brought up the prospect, the fuzzy feeling spread through Chopper's body again, and next thing he knew there were _four_ of him standing on the deck. With all perfectly-times wails of duress, they began running around in circles with their hands on their hats, crying, and it made Chopper cry more that his clones were all behaving the same way he was, because now he wasn't even sure if he was the real Tony Tony Chopper! What if he was a clone and just believed that he had eaten the sushi, but they were just memories of the _real_ Chopper that he had just supposedly sprung from? The crazy idea made his brain and heart hurt, and he plopped down on the deck in miserable tears. There were eight of him now, all racing around the deck in states of panic or depression.

"There has got to be an antidote to this," Robin frowned, and using her devil-fruit powers, used her hands to bring a set of books from within her library and began rifling through them all at once with her real hand on her chin.

"How do we know which one is the real Chopper to give the supposed antidote too?" Usopp cried, and when Chopper and his now-fifteen clones all chimed in unison that they were indeed the real thing, he shrieked at high volume and climbed halfway up the mast, quivering like a leaf as he hugged it for dear life. "This is so weird! What if it's contagious?" Chopper, meanwhile, was on the deck sobbing again at his identity crisis and the idea that the crew was unable to tell him from his clones.

"Calm down, Usopp, it's obviously from the fish," Nami snorted and crossed her arms with a thoughtful frown. "We have to do something quickly, or this ship is gonna sink under the weight of all these Choppers!" She then jumped as the population of reindeer doctors rapidly doubled, leaving them surrounded by the short, furry clones.

"Waaaaah! Get a doctor!"

"Wait! I _am_ the doctor!"

"No, I am!"

"Waaaaah! What if I'm a clone?"

"Somebody, help!"

The deck was a chaotic, bustling mess of the reindeer running to and fro or just plopped on the floor radiating sadness and doom, while the much taller members of the crew were jostled around. Brook and Luffy were enjoying themselves, at least; Brooke was loudly singing a tune while Luffy was flitting about picking up each reindeer in turn to comment on how they were all identical, which furthered their identity crisis and made them bawl more, to which Luffy would apologize and try to calm them with little effect. Chopper- or, the one who thought himself as the true Chopper- had given up wailing and was just miserably sitting on the deck sniffling, because what he had thought had been his triumph had dissolved into yet another messy situation.

_If I hadn't caught the fish, this wouldn't have happened… _he thought pitifully as he rubbed his teary eyes. He knew he was good for his medical knowledge and some level of fighting ability, but when he did things like this all the time, when would the Straw Hats decide that his cons outweighed his pros? He looked up when Robin gasped.

"Here it is. Chopper caught this fish, right?" she asked and waded across the sea of Choppers to show Sanji an illustration in the book she was holding. When he nodded in affirmation, she scanned the accompanying paragraph thoughtfully. "It's called a clone carp. Its cells can survive up to several hours without the brain, even when fileted. When eaten raw, the fish's live cells copy the genetic information of the person who ingested it, express it, and mingle with their own cells, reproducing by budding at an astonishing rate…"

"That's real nice, Robin, but how do we make him go back?" Usopp yelled down from the crow's nest. Several of Chopper's clones had stopped freaking out and were now having fun, climbing up the mast and all over the banisters with giggles. Franky was poking them off the latter with the round end of a broom and then rapidly turning it around to sweep them down the stairs, sending them tumbling down to land in the wiggling, suffocating mass of brown reindeer fur. Chopper, or true Chopper in his mind, was nearly suffocating in the crowd and had climbed onto his barrel to escape death. The historian casually used her Devil Fruit powers to brush off clones that were trying to scamper up her body while she read the tome.

"Ah, here it is. He just needs an apple."

"Are you _serious_?" Nami screeched from the top level; she had rushed to the aid of her tangerine trees, where the Chopper clones were braving the navigator's wrath to try and pluck the lovingly tended fruits from the trees for a tasty snack.

"Woohoooooooo!" Luffy howled as he swung from the sails, a few of the reindeer hung off him crying from the fear of the height.

"The small traces of cyanide in the apple seed will apparently counter-act the fish's toxin. It'll cause the real Chopper to stop dividing by killing the fish cells in his body. The clones themselves aren't dividing- we have to find the real Chopper and give him the apple. The clones cannot sustain the host DNA and express it without guidance from the parent cells, and will rapidly revert to regular clone carp cells."

"Get all the apples we have, shitty cook!" Zoro yelled, using the scabbards of his sword to pushed the writhing mass of reindeer aside as he sloughed across the deck towards the kitchen.

"Shut up, kelp-head!" Sanji shot back as he dove into the kitchen. There was the clamor of banging pots and a stream of curses, and he came out with his chest heaving and a clone of Chopper on his head. "We only have one! Where's the real Chopper?!" he said breathlessly as he pulled off the one on his head and inspected it with a deep frown. Chopper jumped up on the barrel to scream that he was there, but his voice was lost amongst the ocean of his clones that all agreed with him. His bottom lip quivered again as tears flooded his eyes. Was he really the real one? All the other clones were just as sure as he was. He plopped down on the barrel with a miserable sniff, until Zoro glanced in his direction, his one good eye trained on him.

"Give me that!" he grunted and snatched it from the cook, and held it high above his head as he began wading through the vast collection of what he believed to be clones towards Chopper. His little heart swelled when he realized that Zoro had managed to pick him out of the vast crowd, and he jumped up and down on his barrel waving his hooves.

"Zoro! Zoro, I'm here!"

"I'm coming, Chopper! Damn, there are so many of them!" he grunted as he narrowly avoided having the apple swiped from his hands. It made Chopper even happier to see that none of the crew had even questioned Zoro; they all moved into swift action to clear his path.

"Sorry, fake Choppers!" Sanji grunted as he jumped in front of Zoro to swing his strong leg around, carving a path through the rising wall of shrieking, crying reindeer. Chopper cried out and grabbed the barrel as the ship began to sway back and forth under the weight and collective movement of all his clones, causing the barrel he was perched on to begin sliding across the deck. He gasped happily when he realized he was sliding toward Zoro, but then the boat shifted with the vast surge of clones and he began sliding backwards towards the figurehead of the ship. The Choppers had exceeded the capacity of the deck and were dangerously close to spilling over the sides, and since they would have inherited the Devil Fruit and its inability to mix with ocean water, they were terrified to fall over the sides and were clamoring even more. Chopper wailed in duress as Zoro and the ability disappeared from his sight amongst the turmoil.

"Zoro! Toss it here!" he heard Luffy yell, hanging from part of the sails. He stretched his arm to pluck Chopper from the barrel by his shorts, pulling him up into his arm with a snicker; Zoro was just a smudge of green hair against the brown mass, but Chopper could see as he wound up his arm and chucked the apple into the air. Luffy perched Chopper on his shoulder to catch the red fruit, and was grinning widely as he held it up to the reindeer; however, before he could take it and eat it, an army of his clones came unsteadily tottering across the wood to grope for the apple, all claiming to be the real him. Chopper screeched as they clambered over Luffy, making him totter unsteadily on his shoulder while Luffy played like a contortionist to keep the life-saving fruit out of their reach.

"Back, you scoundrels!" Usopp called from the crow's nest, sending a rain of pebbles from his slingshot down onto the perpetrators. They went falling down into the fluffy, pilllowy collection of their brethren, crying and holding their heads.

"Hurry, Chopper! We can't hold them off much longer!" Franky shouted from the second deck, nearly buried under a mass of them. Chopper watched as Brook went sailing by, apparently crowd-surfing the Choppers while chortling contentedly. Chopper stretched out to take the apple from Luffy, but in the process unbalanced himself and slipped off his lanky arm. He screamed wildly clutching the apple to his chest as he plummeted into open air for the second time that day; he heard the clones below him surging upward with groping hooves, eager to claim the precious fruit from his hands. He squeezed his eyes shut as he prepared for his doom.

"Gotcha!" he heard Zoro grunt as he landed securely in his thick arms, and he looked up with a gasp to see the swordsman grinning down at him widely. Sanji had launched him up with a well-timed kick. "Quick!" he added as a tower of Choppers came rising up to meet them, and he flipped in mid-air to narrowly avoid them, knocking it aside with a blow from his scabbard. Chopper wasted no time in chomping down on the apple, core and all, and as soon as he had popped the last bit of seeds in his mouth, he felt the strange tingling sensation in his body again. Below him, the sea of his clones abruptly stopped moving, blinking, before rapidly turning into flopping, wriggling clone carps one by one with small _pop!_s. The crew made short work of flinging them off the deck back into the sea. Just as Zoro landed on the deck with Chopper securely in his arms, Sanji had sent the last fish hurtling into the horizon with a grumpy "And never come back, you shitty fish!"

"Chopper? Are you okay now?" Nami asked as he was set down softly on the deck, pausing to grab Luffy by his ear and yank him over to pry a clone carp from his hands and fling it off the deck. As the captain grumbled under his breath and slumped down in disappointment, she put her hands on her knees and leaned down over him. Her tangerine hair was disheveled and her face flushed with exertion; the rest of the crew was no different, obvious haggard from dealing with Chopper's mistake. That thought made him dismally sad again, and he rubbed his stinging eyes as he began to cry again.

"I'm sorry… This is all my fault… I shoulda never caught that dumb fish," he whimpered miserably.

"What're you talking about? That was so much fun!" Luffy laughed, whirling on his behind to beam at him. Chopper would normally take him at face-value, but it would take a bit more encouragement to drag him out of his melancholy this time.

"No, I really messed up… I always do things like this and you have to protect me." His shoulders sagged as he hung his head low. "I don't deserve to be a Straw Hat." He tensed up as a ripple of alarmed gasps went across the group.

"Chopper! Don't saw that!" Nami cried.

"Yeah! You're my doctor! I don't want another one!" Luffy protested hotly.

"Everyone makes mistakes, Chopper. There's no need to be so upset," Robin told him with a gentle smile. At everyone's continuous encouraging remarks, he looked up while rubbing the tears from his fur, and then turned to Zoro, who had yet to comment. He was intense as ever, arms crossed and expression serious. _Is Zoro gonna yell at me? _The man abruptly sighed deeply and poked Chopper in the top of the head with the hilt of one of his swords.

"Buck up, Chopper. You're a pirate, remember? You made a commitment and you gotta stick to it," he said sternly. He had told him that once before, when Chopper had made a scene when he had been stolen during the Davy Back fight. Zoro smirked at him with as soft as an expression as a chiseled, serious man like him could have. "You don't have to worry about messing up, because we're always here to help you clean it up. That's what friends are for." Chopper's eyes widened and he gasped slightly, then began bawling with joy and jumped back up into Zoro's arms.

"Waaaaaaaah! Zoro! Thank you! Thank you!" he cried as he nuzzled his face in his chest.

"All right, all right, cut it out, you're getting me all wet!" he cried as Chopper continued to sob happily.

"Group hug!" Brook squealed and wrapped his bony frame around Zoro. Nami laughed and joined in, followed by a bemused Robin; hearts beat in Sanji's eyes and he wriggled with joy while embracing the two women; Franky struck his pose before nearly crushing them all in his metal arms, and Luffy howled with delight before winding his rubbery arms around them several times before worming himself in.

"Hey, you asshats, cut it out!" Zoro griped, but Chopper could see him smiling.

Though he could barely breathe under the smothering hug, Chopper didn't mind, because he was in the arms of his very best friends whom he loved more than anything in the world… And no matter how many of him there were, he was the one they wanted and cherished.


	26. Desert Ghost

Category: Mild Romantic Fluff, Hurt and Comfort

Characters: Nami, Ace, Sabo

Requested By: Better Known as Aaliyah (FanFiction)

Nami inhaled deeply threw her nose as she leaned herself against the creaky, barely-held-together boards of the ramshackle cabin that she and her companions were currently huddled in, nursing their wounds from their newest venture- the arduous and catastrophic spat with Donquixote Doflamingo in the kingdom of Dressrosa. Most of their adventures usually ended up concluding with some monumental battle or another, but to Nami, this had been one of their closest calls yet. After deposing the tyrant and restoring Rebecca's family to the throne, the crew had retreated to a safehouse of Sabo's within the country for a bit of rest before they were to reunite with the remainder of their comrades. It was deep into the night, and the rest of them were asleep, but it evaded Nami; it often was this way directly following a conflict. She simply could not dissipate all that nervous energy and adrenaline as quickly as they, and so she would wait until they slipped into their slumber before slipping out to be with the stars and her thoughts. As a chill wind blew across the ground, rustling the grass and Nami's hair before skipping coldly across her skin leaving goosebumps in its wake; she drew her knees to her chest and hugged them with a slight shiver, but since she had not a hint of drowsiness in her, she remained huddled against the structure.

"You'll catch cold like that." Nami jerked up, startled, at the sudden address, and as she looked to see who had spoken, her vision was eclipsed as a cloak of black fabric was unceremoniously flung into her face. She wrestled it with a moment, her frustrated and confused curses muffled by the folds of the clothing, before she was able to pry it free from her tangled strands of tangerine hair and pull it from her head. Sabo was standing beside her with a smirk on his lips and his hands on his hips, and Nami's eyes widened slightly as she was struck by a sudden sense of _dejà vu_.

"_You'll catch cold like that," _a low voice purred in her head, and it brought a mild blush to her cheeks. As she clutched the cloak to her chest, not bothering to put it on for the ghosts of her past dancing before her eyes, Sabo frowned deeply and squatted down in front of her with his head tilted slightly. "Nami? You're making a weird face. Do you not want it?"

"Oh! N-no, thank you very much," she stammered quickly and drew the cloak around her shoulders. She then smiled sheepishly at him. "You just… Reminded me a little of your brother."

"Luffy?"

"No, Ace." At her answer, his eyebrows shot up his forehead, and he then grinned awkwardly and scratched his head. Nami knew it must be a sore subject for him, as it was for Luffy, and she flushed darkly when she realized how tactless she had been. "Sabo, I'm so-"

"No, it's okay," he sighed with a magnanimous smile and a wave of his hand. Then, he exhaled slightly and plopped down on his behind next to her, his knees drawn up on either side of himself with his arms slung lazily over them. "It's not like we can avoid talking about him forever. I was just a little shocked that you had met him before, Nami."

"Mhmm, we met him when we were an island called Alabasta. Funny enough, we were kind of overthrowing a government there, too," she joked weakly, crossing her arms atop her knees to rest her chin on them with a rueful smile. "… I wish… I had gotten to know him better," she whispered quietly, and closed her eyes.

_~Two Years Ago, in the Kingdom of Alabasta~ _

"You'll catch cold like that." Nami glanced up with a slight haze of pink in her cheeks as she was suddenly addressed, and was greeted by the bulky silhouette of Portgas D. Ace against the backdrop of the starry night sky and the pale moonlight. Nami was currently huddled against the wall of the canyon that they had decided to shelter in during the night, near the entrance looking upon the desert for any sign of monstrous creature or otherwise enemy that would disturb the rest of her sleeping crewmates; it was within sight of their camp, where her crew mates were strewn about in their sleeping bags, but too far to feel the gentle warmth of the flickering fire that burned at their center. Nami, though dressed in the Alabastan robes at Vivi's behest, was not immune to the night chill, and the man had apparently taken notice. "Can't sleep?" he smiled as he sat cross-legged beside her, and Nami jumped slightly as his arm suddenly burst into roaring red flame without warning. Though she was startled thoroughly, the warmth pouring off the Flame-Flame Fruit user obliterated the desert cold, and so she did not insist that he stifle it.

"No, I'm on watch," she answered simply before casting her gaze out at the sandy desert. Truth be told, she could not sleep; the stress of saving Vivi's country was admittedly getting to her, and so she did as she often did and sought comfort from the solitude of the night and its celestial brilliance above. "… What about you? Can you not sleep?"

"Nah, I get kinda restless sometimes," he grinned lightly at her, and if he had not been radiating flames, he would have been radiating sunshine, with how bright and pure his smile was. Though Nami had been in a somewhat melancholy mood before, she found herself uplifted at his presence; for the past few days that they had been traveling together, she had found that she rather liked him. He was a lot like Luffy- magnetic, boisterous, arguably a bit daft, but capable and strong. There was something different about him, though, that made Nami comfortable around him, though she wasn't sure what that was. With a small smile, she laid her arms on her knees and her head atop them, gazing up at him instead of the night sky like she normally would.

"Is it because you're leaving tomorrow?" Nami was not a fool; she had studied Vivi's maps of the desert, and she knew that soon they would be approaching a major outlet to the ocean. Ace had found no sign of Blackbeard here, and though Luffy was his little brother, he was unlikely to abandon his search for the murderer to jump into their grand plan to stop Crocodile and save Vivi's home. Ace's face turned a shade of pink, and he looked away shyly while rubbing the back of his neck.

"Eh, it's that obvious, is it?"

"Not to most of the airheads over there, but it is to me. You don't want to have to tell Luffy that you're leaving," she assumed, and assumed right, because he nodded with a small smile.

"Yeah… As much as I would like to stick around and see how much he's grown… I _have_ to find Blackbeard. He can't get away with what he's done." His voice, normally upbeat, had a grim edge to it. His eyes burned like his arms as he stared out into the bleak, unforgiving desert. He then gave her a lop-sided smile. "I'm not _terribly_ upset about it, though. I know we'll meet again somewhere down the line. We gotta decide whose gonna be King of the Pirates, after all- him or Whitebeard."

"Sorry, it's gonna be Luffy," she responded without hesitation.

"You sure have a lot of faith in him, don't you?" he snorted in laughter, leaning back against the coarse stone with wiggling eyebrows. She smirked playfully back at him before looking back at where her captain was snoring, fast asleep.

"Yeah. He's a handful sometimes and makes a lot of rash decisions, but I always know he's gonna pull through and keep his word. He always does what he thinks is right and beats down any obstacles that get in the way of it. That's the kind of guy he is… And he's just the kind of guy I can't help but follow," she mused quietly. All of them, her rambunctious captain included, gave her plenty of headaches, but she couldn't deny that it was a lot of fun, too. She had grown stronger than she ever thought possible, and had met amazing people, like Vivi and Ace. "I owe Luffy a lot," she smiled up at him. "He gave me my dreams back, and so I'm gonna make sure his comes true."

"That's too bad," he sighed woefully, and she blinked up at him in confusion, having not expected such an answer. He cracked his eye open to look at her, and the smoldering gaze that burned in his dark eyes set her heart a-thumping. _What's that look…? _"I was hoping I could convince you to come with _me_, Nami." Once more thrown by his wild comment, she just stared blankly at him with her face afire and the gears whirring wildly in her mind. Nami wasn't totally oblivious to what he was implying, but it was _so_ outrageous; they had known each other for only such a short time, and that wasn't _nearly_ enough to form some kind of _romantic attachment_, right? Despite her attempts to convince herself of that, her heart was tugging slightly, inclined to agree in some fit of lunacy. She turned her head away as her face burned like the heat of the desert sun, and half-expected him to begin laughing as if it were some cruel joke- but he didn't. "I'm sorry, was that too forward? Are you mad at me now?" he laughed.

"A bit sudden," she admitted quietly, still refusing to look at him, "but I'm not mad…" Her arm was burning too, cast in the warm flames of Ace's body, and that lunatic part of her wanted to scooch forward to bathe herself in that heat. She couldn't, though. "I can't go with you. No matter what, I'm loyal to Luffy. Everything else comes second… _everything_." Her voice sounded hollow as she spoke the words. She had not known how much she wanted it until he had hinted at it, dangled the bait in front of her hands with her close enough to grasp it. She couldn't, no matter how much she wanted to; it was a phantasm, a desert mirage.

"You're not dating _him_, are you?" he asked with a sudden gasp, and she whipped around to glare at him with her hair bristling like a cat's fur.

"Of course not, you idiot!" she hissed through gritted teeth. She then realized that _that_ had been the joke, as he was holding his stomach while he hit the sand with his palm and laughed uncontrollably.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, that was in bad taste," he giggled as she puffed out her cheeks to stare angrily up at him. As his snickers died down, he exhaled deeply before leaning his cheek in his hand and looking down at her again with that same blistering heat burning deep in his eyes, but this time Nami did not have the strength to look away; she just let it blast over her, consume her, leaving her aching and wanting. "I'm glad that Luffy has people like you to look out for him… But that really is too bad." Nami hadn't noticed his face drawing ever closer as he spoke, until it was virtually on top of hers, but by then it was too late; she was utterly helpless as he tilted his head to press his lips against hers, softly, lightly, but not without feeling. Under the intense heat of his body and the emotions writhing inside of her, Nami melted; without thinking, she reached out a trembling hand to press it against Ace's chest, simultaneously trying to push him away and keep herself anchored to him. As she squeezed her eyes shut, her face contorting slightly into the visage of misery because she knew she shouldn't be doing this, because no matter what they had to go their separate ways and it would only be miserable for the both of them if they entertained this ludicrous idea of _them_, tears spilled out of her eyes and down her cheeks. She felt Ace's hand brush over the skin of her cheeks, sending the crystalline tears fluttering into the desert sand, and she so longed to reach up and grasp that hand and hold it forever.

Then he was gone, like a desert sandstorm, leaving Nami's heart destroyed and yet reborn in its wake. When she opened her eyes, though her vision was blurred by tears, she saw his silhouetted form tromping back across the canyon floor towards the camp, his shoulders drawn up and his hands in his pockets against the cold wind that was blowing through the canyon; beside Nami was a little pile of burning brush, but that was not the only thing that kept her warm that night.

_~Present Day, Kingdom of Dressrosa~ _

"Nami?" Her head shot up as Sabo's timid voice ripped her from her memories, and for a second she was unfocused. She felt something brush over her left cheek, and she turned to see that Sabo was very hesitantly drawing his gloved hand over her face to catch the tears that had spilled from her eyes. He had a complicated expression, probably expecting her to get mad; instead, she exhaled deeply and smiled sweetly at him.

"Thank you, Sabo… Sorry. I just got lost in the past," she murmured as she straightened up and wiped at her eyes with the backs of her hands. His hand fell back to his side and he gave her a bashful smile in return.

"No problem. I hate seeing pretty girls cry." Nami laughed at the unabashed compliment and ducked her head down, her tangerine hair falling into her face. Sabo was too nice to ask about what Nami was crying about, but had at least a few more active neurons than his brother sleeping inside and was able to figure out what had the woman so despondent. She heard him mutter something incomprehensible under his breath and then stiffly scoot closer to her, so that their arms were just barely brushing. When she looked up at him, he flushed pink and hurriedly waved his hands. "I-it's not like _that_, I just, I don't want you to be sad, you know? I feel bad because I made you remember something sad, it's kinda my fault. Erm, I'm sorry, am I making you uncomfortable? I'll move back-" he spluttered bashfully.

"No, you're fine. Thanks- and it's not your fault, really. It was bound to happen one of these days… Truthfully, I'm glad someone's here with me." He relaxed into a puddle of mush beside her, flopping back against the outer wall of the shack with a relieved grin. "Besides… Even if it's sad now, it's still a memory, and it's important," she added as she tipped her head back to gaze up at the brilliant landscape of glittering stars stretching above. "Happy memories, sad memories, scary memories… All of them have the people I care about, and I want to keep all of them close to my heart forever. So, thank you for not letting me forget, Sabo."

"Ehehehe, you're welcome, Nami…" AS he chuckled awkwardly next to her, Nami slipped out of the cloak, folded it up neatly, and handed it back to him. "Oh? But it's still so cold out here, Nami. Will you be okay?" he asked with wide eyes as he took it back. She smiled serenely as she shook her head.

"No… I'm all warmed up now. I'll be just fine." He respectfully left her to her devices and bade her a goodnight, disappearing back into the cabin to rejoin the rest of the sleeping crew. Nami remained bound by her insomnia, joined only by the heavens above, but she was now shielded from the cold by the gentle ghost of Ace sitting beside her, and the wind carried the echo of his laugh away into the stars…


	27. Just Another Day in Crazy Land

Category: Friendship Fluff

Characters: Trafalgar Law, Tony Tony Chopper

Requested By: anubislover (Tumblr)

Law squinted slightly as he stepped out into the morning, raising a hand to his eyes to shield against the persistent and bright rays of the sun shining in the clear sky above; it was quite a difference compared to the dank, gloomy shack he had just exited. Really, it was only so dark because the windows were shielded with thick, dark curtains, staving off any prying eyes that may discover the crew of pirates recovering within its unordinary wooden walls, a tangle of limbs and blankets and bandages. In the distance, Law could see the also-recovering capital of Dressrosa Kingdom; the jagged rubble of collapsed buildings made ugly peaks against the blue sky, like some sort of twisted mountain range. It had only been a night since Law had accomplished his goal of putting a bitter end to Donquixote Doflamingo, with Straw Hat Luffy's help, and he really ought to stay inside and continue recuperating; however, if he spent another minute amongst their snores and snorts and mumbled lunacies, he was liable to go insane. Additionally, Law had never been one to laze around and sleep all day, even when he had sustained injuries such as those he bore now. Thus, bored and wide awake, he had been lured outside by the rising sun. With a small sigh, he leaned against the wall of the building with his sword propped up beside him, watching the sun paint the sky of dawn.

"Um… Mr., um, Law, sir?" The Heart Pirate captain glanced down with raised eyebrows as he was addressed by the unmistakable, high-pitched, shaky voice of Tony Tony Chopper the reindeer; the little pirate doctor was standing in the threshold of the ajar cabin door, looking like he was trying to peer out from behind the building but was oddly in the complete opposite direction, his entire body sticking out with half his face hidden by the wooden structure. He stiffened as Law turned his gaze on him. Law had discovered he was a skittish thing, and Law in particular intimidated him. He didn't fault him, really; Law hardly ever smiled and knew he had an intense demeanor about him.

"What is it, Chopper-ya? Do you need something?" Sweat began to bead down his furry face as he debated continuing the conversation and his gaze flickered about before settling on his hooved feet.

"I was, um, wondering if you would take me into town to get more medicine… My stores are pretty low…" That was no shock; Luffy and Zoro were more bandage and salve than person at this point, and the rest of them hadn't escaped unscathed, either. Chopper stared at him hesitantly, likely expecting a blatant refusal. It's not like Law _wanted _to do it, but in the state of disrepair that the city was, with some of Doflamingo's minor goons still running about and the entire place a construction zone, it likely wasn't a safe place for the little reindeer to wander by himself, either. No doubt, the rest of the Straw Hats were still passed out on the floor, otherwise Chopper wouldn't have come within ten yards of him and asked him a favor. Besides, he was awake anyway, so he might as well give himself something to do and hang around one of the loons he actually had something in common with. With a resigned sigh, he pushed himself up off the building and grabbed his sword, swinging it up to prop it on his shoulder, and then looked intently at Chopper.

"All right, then, let's get going."

"Wah! Okay!" he squealed, darting inside to scramble around and gather up his money and take inventory of what he needed. With all the banging and bumbling happening inside, Law was amazed that none of the slumbering pirates awoke, but as the reindeer scampered out breathing heavily and shut the door behind him, Law heard no signs of life from within. He turned on his heel to set off across the rocky landscape towards the shell of the capital, and heard Chopper's hooves striking the rocks as he scurried to keep up with him. Law didn't pay much attention at first, his dark eyes sweeping across the uninteresting rocky steppe of bleak, muted tones and scrubby grasses and shrubs, but eventually he became aware of Chopper's labored breathing and unsteady gait and he glanced over his shoulder to see him lagging behind, so he took more care to match his stride to the little reindeer's. _Zoro-ya would kill me if I lost him. _Law wasn't afraid of him, but he also didn't care to have to go up against him, either.

"Wow. Look at it; the Birdcage did so much damage," Chopper breathed as they came upon the outskirts of the city, the first to be sliced to ribbons by Doflamingo's power. Since Law had slowed down a little, he had lost the touch of exhaustion to him, and flitted about Law's feet as he drank in the mass destruction with a mixture of awe and horror. The road was not so much a road, as the dirt path had been eclipsed by the corpses of residential buildings. Law carefully picked his way across the labyrinth of carved stone and shattered glass with Chopper hopping along behind. At first it was easily navigable, but as they headed deeper into the capital, the destroyed shells of the building became more densely packed, spilling over the road in mountainous heaps. Several times Law had to clamber over collapsed sections and pause to grab Chopper by the back of his shirt to haul him over, and every time to little reindeer went limp in his grasp, freezing like a cat held by its scruff, until Law set him down again and he would hop up blushing and rubbing the back of his neck while he sputtered gratuitous remarks.

After about half an hour of picking their way through the ruins, they entered the area where the pirates and the citizens had made their stand against the birdcage; aside from the deep scores in the ground and a few clipped-off sections of a few buildings, the area was relatively unharmed. It was here that the two pirates finally stumbled upon signs of life- clotheslines strung between adjacent buildings with drying fabrics fluttering in the breeze, houseplants and barrels and decorative items bringing color into the otherwise colorless roads and buildings of stone and wood, a few people strolling about or chatting idly across the way to each other. Chopper got all flustered again when he had to ask a young woman where their marketplace was currently set up, and then he shyly related it to Law, pointing down the street before trotting ahead of him, face scrunched up as he set himself into mission mode. Law strolled along behind the reindeer, his dark eyes creeping into every alleyway and dark corner; it was common knowledge now that he had been instrumental in Doflamingo's downfall, and the lower-ranking brutes that were still skulking about would no doubt like to get their revenge against him for ruining their paychecks.

They must have been going the right way, because it wasn't long before the air was filled with the hum of countless voices; shouts and calls and chatter bounced off the buildings as they approached, and through the gaps in the structures Law could see colored fabrics of tents and banners flapping about in the wind. Lights were strung between lampposts, indicating that the market still had a very active nightlife, and the simple stone beneath his feet gave way to elegant cobblestone arranged in a concentric circular pattern throughout the marketplace. He came up on the entrance, where Chopper was perched up on a barrel with one hoof held to his eyes as he scanned the throng for a suitable stall. Law hovered on the edge of the crowd, having no desire to venture within; the place was packed with people. Apparently neighboring islands had heard of the struggle within Dressrosa, and vendors had thought it quite the money-making venture, to bring their wares to the recovering city. Law heard them shouting above the cacophony, offering food and clothing and other things for cheap, good-luck charms and talismans and other scams, "buy-one-get-one" and "half off for five minutes!" The corner of his mouth twitched at the thought of diving into the chaos, but there was no way he could let Chopper go in there by himself, because he would be trampled for sure.

When Law looked at the barrel, there was just empty air where Chopper had been sitting a few seconds ago, and his heart stopped as he realized he was dead meat.

"Shit! Chopper-ya, where did you go?" he shouted and shoved his way into the throng of people without another moment's consideration. He used the scabbard of his sword to make himself a wider berth in the crowd, and though he got cold looks and affronted gasps from the people there, he righteously didn't care because he was too busy looking for the doctor. He stumbled out of the writhing crowd on the right side of the market, dashing from vendor to vendor gasping "Haveyouseenatalkingreindeer?" and before the person had even finished refusing and tried offering his wares he would be scrambling off to the next. Law had made a half-circuit of the marketplace and was descending further into a panic as he realized he would be on the receiving end of Zoro's katanas until he heard distinctive wailing amongst the crowd.

"_Wahhhhh_! Lawwwww, where _arrrrrrrrrre_ you?"

"Hold on, Chopper-ya, I'm coming!" Law called out before climbing up onto a barrel beside a stall, snapping at the vendor, "Shut your damn mouth, can't you see I'm busy?!" when he sidled over to the edge of the stall to try to sell him some girly-ass necklaces. He straightened up with his hand held to his eyes to block that annoyingly bright damn sun while he surveyed the gaps in the crowd, looking for any sign of the crying reindeer. His shoulders sagged as he searched for a minute or so to no avail, until finally he caught a glimpse of brown fur and curved horns; his eyes locked onto a sniffling Chopper, who was miserably talking to a brawny man who definitely did _not_ look like he was concerned for Chopper's well-being. _Oh, fuck, he's gonna bribe him with candy or something and make off with him! _he thought in fear, and practically swan-dived off the barrel into crowd. He shoved his way through the men and women frantically, ignoring the cries and curses, and just as the man was reaching down to grab Chopper, Law threw himself out, slid on his belly across the cobblestone, and wrapped Chopper up on his arms while he glared savagely up at the very confused man. "Fuck off. My reindeer."

"Um, look, I don't think-"

"I said fuck off! My reindeer! _Mine_!" Law hissed, practically rabid from his period of heightened emotions, and the man knit his eyebrows as he leaned back and looked at Chopper hesitantly.

"It's okay! This is who I was looking for! Thank you very much, mister!" the reindeer laughed as he repeatedly squished down the top of Law's fluffy hat, and which each movement his fur brushed against Law's cheek; that's how closely he was holding him. The man looked a bit disgruntled, eyeing Law suspiciously, but the Heart Pirate just continued to glare savagely at him until he shrugged his shoulders and disappeared back into the crowd. Heaving a sigh, Law slowly sat up and brushed the dirt of his black clothes before his intense glare flickered to Chopper. The reindeer instantly stiffened and tears up again, quivering. Law debated yelling at him for a moment, but decided that it wasn't worth the effort and just settled for flicking him hard in the forehead. "Ow!" he yelped while tenderly rubbing the spot.

"Don't do that again."

"Okay… Sorry…" Chopper mumbled obediently as he continued to rub his forehead despondently. "You looked like you didn't want to go in the crowd, so I thought that maybe I could just be quick, but there's so many people here that I got swept away…" Law exhaled sharply out of his nose as he looked away awkwardly; he made a mental note to not let his emotions and thoughts show so easily to the little reindeer, lest they end up in more near-disasters like such. He pulled himself to his feet, using his sword as leverage, before propping it on his shoulder again and looking at him pointedly.

"Look, I said I would take you to the market, and I meant it. Now, from this point on, hold onto my cloak so you don't get lost," he ordered.

"But-"

"Hoof. Cloak. _Now_." As the harshness descended into Law's voice, Chopper squeaked and hurriedly clutched onto Law's cloak with his little hooves, nervously gulping. Once the reindeer had securely latched on, Law groaned slightly and let the tension melt from his body; when he opened his eyes, he noticed that he had gathered quite a crowd of concerned-looking people. "What the fuck are you all looking at? Mind your own goddamn business. I've got shopping to do!" he snapped with bristling shoulders, and they hurriedly dispersed, not hasty to incite more of his rage. He heard Chopper giggling and he looked down with grinding teeth. "What?"

"Sorry, it's just kinda funny. You remind me of Zoro."

"Is that supposed to be a compliment? He's an idiot." Law pinched the bridge of his nose, hoping that the circus of clowns he had been traveling with was not rubbing off on him too much. He glanced down at Chopper out of the corners of his eyes to see him still grinning, and Law allowed his lips to curl into a faint smile. At the very least, he wasn't bored anymore. "All right, Chopper-ya, let's get back to what we were doing, yeah?"

"Mhmm! Y'know, you're not as mean as I thought you were." As Law lead him out of the middle of the crowd toward the outskirts, he laughed bitterly as he hung his head, admittedly a little sad that the reindeer had been so scared of him.

"Thanks, Chopper-ya…"

"Will you teach me some stuff about medicine sometime? Pretty please? I still have so much to learn!" the reindeer asked with sparkling eyes, and Law could not help but smile in bemusement.

"Sure. Medicine first, though," he smirked as he led him over to the proper stall, and when they were close enough the reindeer let go of his cloak to scamper over to the stall, a small skip in his step as he beamed in glee. As Law watched him, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly at the mental image of being the apparent caretaker of the excitable little creature, no matter how hard he tried he could not wipe the small smile off his face. _Just another day in Crazy Land with the Straw Hats._

_They're a headache sometimes, but they're not that bad. _


	28. Not the Same

Category: General Fluff

Characters: Monkey D. Luffy and Boa Hancock

Requested by: killercroc (FanFiction)

The ocean breeze whipped away the sigh as Luffy heaved it, carrying it away into the vast landscape of rolling waves that stretched ever on before him. He was sitting on the figurehead of Boa Hancock's luxurious ship, his favorite spot to be, but it just wasn't the same as his perch on the Thousand Sunny; it was the best that he could get, though, considering his ship was still moored at the Shabody Archipelago. He wondered what had become of his beloved ship, the lovingly crafted re-imagining of his faithful Going Merry, which had been put to rest after their many arduous adventures. He wondered too what had become of the rest of his _nakama_, after being forcefully ejected from the island by the strange android Bartholomew Kuma. More than anything, though, he worried about the welfare of his brother, whom he had just recently learned was being held prisoner by the World Government and slated for execution. As he thought about the terrifying prospect, his fists curled around the stained wood of Hancock's ship, dangerously close to sending cracks streaming through its sanded surface. _I won't let that happen! I'm gonna save Ace, no matter what! _

He told himself that, but his bravado vanished in an instant and he deflated slightly; without his faithful friends behind him, even he had to admit sneaking into a maximum-security prison and busting out his brother was a daunting task. At the very least, he had the beautiful warlord's help. He just wished at the moment to have something to relieve the boredom of sailing towards Impel Down, because it was giving him way too much time to get in his head. He whirled on his behind to look at Hancock, thinking maybe she could entertain him a bit; she was standing on the upper level talking to the warrior woman who was at the wheel, in active conversation. Luffy stretched his arm out to grasp the railing beside her and vault himself over, landing lightly to crouch on the railing like a lanky monkey. Hancock jumped at his sudden appearance and blushed profusely while stammering, "L-Luffy, what is it?"

"I wanna go fishing." That was his favorite pastime on the Merry and Sunny, aside from sitting at the figurehead fantasizing about their next adventure and destination; he was always reeling in some massive specimen or another, and Sanji always could find a way to incorporate it into a tasty dish. His mood soured slightly as he realized that Sanji wasn't around to do it this time, and Hancock's cook, no matter who they were, could compare to _his _chef. _I'll see him again soon, just as soon as I save Ace. _He knew his crew were probably fine, wherever they were; they were probably back on their way to the Archipelago right now. He would just be a little late to the party, that's all. As Luffy voiced his proclamation, Hancock whipped around with a firm screech.

"A fishing pole! Someone find Luffy a fishing pole!" The women actually didn't have a fishing pole on board, which Luffy found asinine (What kind of pirate ship didn't have a fishing pole? What did they actually do for fun?), but at Hancock's insistence they fashioned from a spear and some various spare string and thin metal that they had lying around. Once he had his fishing pole in hand, Luffy was actually quite pleased, and he whistled a tune jovially under his breath as he walked over to the side of the ship- that is, until Hancock asked what he was singing and he realized it was Brooke's favorite tune "Bink's Sake," and he got depressed that the funny skeleton man wasn't around to serenade him. With a slight frown, he plopped down on the edge of the ship and grumpily flung his line into the water.

"Being sad sucks," he muttered under his breath. With lidded eyes, he watched the ripples that the quivering line cast through the swirling water. Usopp and Chopper loved to fish, too; they would often join Luffy and would have competitions on who could bring in the largest haul. Luffy usually won, because he just had the best luck at yanking Sea Kings out of the sea. His shoulders slouched slightly as his depressive mood heightened. Apparently, the powerful queen of the island of women had noticed Luffy was not in his normal, happy-go-lucky mood, and sidled over with an expression of concern and a pink haze on her cheeks.

"Luffy? Is something the matter?"

"I miss my _nakama,_" he mumbled. Though Hancock couldn't really _do _anything about it- as far as he knew, her talents did not lie in magically plucking people out of thin air- he saw no point in lying. He was always honest about his feelings, because feelings were important. They meant you cared about something. His head flopped down as he heaved another heavy sigh.  
"It's just no fun if they're not around."

"_Kyaah_?! You mean you're not having fun, Luffy?" When he glanced at her out of the corners of his eyes, she had turned red with tears flooding her dark eyes and her bottom lip quivering pathetically. Her cheeks were puffed out, like she was holding her breath. Luffy shrugged at her and straightened back up, wiggling the line of his fishing pole a little in an attempt to entice something from the deep.

"Of course, I'm having fun with you, Hancock, but it just isn't the same, you know?" Luffy really wasn't sure how to explain it. He liked Hancock; she was nice, having offered to help him in his effort to sneak into Impel Down and save Ace, and he enjoyed her presence, but with his friends, it was… different. He hated having to walk across the deck and not seeing Zoro asleep, slumped up against the mast or the wooden walls. He hated not smelling the scent of Nami's tangerines carried on the breeze as it shook their dark leaves, or the mouthwatering aromas of Sanji's newest creation wafting out of the kitchen. He hated not doing morning stretches with Franky, laughing when Nami came out to scold them for being too loud. He hated not having Robin there to answer his many, many questions about all the things she knew. He hated not having Usopp or Chopper around to assist him in his jokes or pranks. He hated not hearing Brooke's melodic voice and violin dancing on the wind practicing some new catchy tune or another.

He hated being alone, and he hated being alone because he had failed to keep them all together in the first place.

"Luffy-" Hancock was interrupted as the fishing line jerked dramatically, and Luffy had to throw his arm back and wind it around the mast to keep from being yanked clear off the ship; his other arm stretched a bit as the powerful force carried the rod underwater, and then he managed to clear his mind to focus on what he was doing and began pulling violently on the makeshift pole.

"Come're, you stupid fish! I want lunch!" he shouted angrily as he tugged hard on the fishing pole. Slowly, the water beside the ship darkened as a massive form was dragged to the surface, and the water began to slosh and swirl as its massive tail whipped about under Luffy's vigorous assault. White foam sprayed up against the side of the ship, speckling the determined Luffy and started Hancock with its misty droplets, and the ship began to rock lightly under the force of the waves slapping against its sides. With a grunt, Luffy grabbed the pole with both hands and gave a strong, swift jerk; with a tremendous splash that sent a wave of water rolling over the deck, soaking everyone out in the open from head-to-toe and nearly carrying Luffy's precious hat away, a massive, colorful fish leaped out of the water. Luffy's grin was wider than it had been all day at the sight of the spectacle. Its scales were a magnificent emerald, with speckles of jade and other shades across its midline; its fins were sharp and powerful, and its jaw was pointed with row of pointed teeth sticking out. It wriggled about in the air, sending a rain of water droplets arcing about, before crashing about into the ocean with another magnificent splash. Luffy grunted as he was pulled up against the side of the ship, but he firmly held onto his catch. "Oh, no you don't! You're going in my belly!"

"Luffy, just let it go! You're going to capsize us!" Hancock screamed from where she was clutching to the mast, her dark hair plastered to her face. Luffy threw a wink over his shoulder at her, making her melt into a pile of gushing putty, before planting his feet against the wall of the ship and tugging so hard on the fishing pole that it looked like he was standing upright against the wall.

"Nuh-uh! No stupid fish is gonna get the best of me!" Despite his best efforts, the fish was a formidable foe; the ship actually began to stream through the water, jumping in the wake of the massive predatory fish he had hooked. "One… more… time!" he grunted, and once more, the fish vaulted out of the water into the sky, flapping about in rage. This time, Luffy was prepared, and bit down hard on his thumb, blowing air into his body to inflate the bones within his arm. As his limb swelled to massive size, the wood underneath him buckled a bit.

"What are you doing?!" Hancock screamed at him. Luffy just cackled happily and used his free arm to stretch up to grasped the top sail, sling-shotting himself right up to the still-wriggling fish. "It's lunchtime!" he hollered in glee before delivering a savage punch to the belly of the fish. It instantly stiffened on impact, quivering under the force of Luffy's blow, before it went rocketing up into the air. It disappeared for a moment, and Luffy landed on the wood holding the top sail and put his hand to his eyes, scanning the blue sky for a black speck. It appeared after a moment, rapidly growing larger as the fish plummeted to earth like a meteor, and he could hear the warrior women running around in circles on the deck screaming that they were going to be crushed. Luffy jumped up to the crow's nest and then jumped off again to deliver another punch to the fish's side before it could land directly on the ship, sending it blasting into the ocean so fast that it skipped like a rock a few times before sinking below the waves. After a few seconds it rose back up, belly-up and bobbing lifelessly in the churning water. Luffy landed on the main deck with a triumphant hoot.

"Yay! Lunch! Let's go get it, let's go get it! Usopp, Chopper, didja see-" He cut himself off as he whipped around and remembered that his normal spectators weren't there, and he deflated again; he continued doing so, shrinking down to the size of a three-year-old, as were the side effects of him using Gear Third. As he pouted, Hancock came running over to him, picking him up underneath his arms and lifting him up with an expression of both joyous glee and acute fear.

"Oh my goodness, you are_ so_ cute! Why are you cute? Luffy, what's happening? Oh, _who cares_, you're so _small_!" she squealed and waved him about as she ranted, then cried out and hugged him to her chest, squeezing him like a vice grip. Luffy's protests were muffled by the pillow of her voluptuousness. Ignorant of his pleas for air, she just nuzzled him affectionately while crooning, and just as Luffy thought he was going to pass out from lack of oxygen she pulled back to hold him high up and look at him in wonder again. He gulped in big breaths, his face turning from blue to white to normal color, while Hancock's eyes sparkled innocently. "Will you be like this forever?!" she asked, and he didn't know if she was horrified or delighted by the prospect.

"Nah. It's just temporary. It happens every time I use Gear Third," he explained while picking his nose, disinterested at the entire ordeal. "Can we get my fish, please? I worked hard for that, y'know."

"Oh! Yes, of course." Hancock stood up, as she had been kneeling in front of him the entire time, and he expected her to put him down; instead, she hugged him to his chest like a little girl would a teddy bear, arms around his shrunken waist with his little feet dangling as she walked and instructed the crew to haul up and prepare Luffy's catch. Carried around like a pet, Luffy felt kind of like Chopper. Thinking of the reindeer made him blue again, and he sagged like a limp stuffed animal in Hancock's arms. Not even making a legendary catch like that could keep his depression away for long. He pouted like a little baby, muttering under his breath at how stupid being sad was, because he had more things to worry about. Hancock eventually caught on to his grumbling, and set him on a barrel to lean over, hands on her knees as she talked to him at eye-level.

"Now, Luffy, it's okay to be sad that your friends are gone." Luffy's nose scrunched up as she took a baby-talk tone with him.

"Hancock, I may look like a baby but I'm not one, so can you please talk normal?"

"Oh! Sorry! Sorry!" she laughed as she put both her hands on her cheeks and gushed, hearts practically flying through the air around her. "What was I saying? Oh, right. I know it must be hard on you, being apart from them."

"Yeah…" he murmured as his shoulders slumped. "I wish they were here. I know I'm strong, but somehow I just don't feel like I'm strong enough without them with me." That was the root of his blatant refusal of his sadness; he didn't want to admit that he was afraid that he wouldn't be able to pull this off alone, that he was too weak to avoid dragging his friends into something so dangerous. That he was too weak to keep _anyone_ safe, Ace or anyone else.

"I know, but, I'm sure that wherever they are, they're still supporting you. Just because they aren't right there next to you doesn't mean that they're not beside you, at every step. You still have their strength, right here," she smiled kindly and poked him right in his little chest, where his heart was. Luffy looked down, blinking. It made sense, kind of. Even if they weren't there, they were in his heart, and he was sure he was in theirs, too. With a giggle, he beamed up at Hancock.

"Thanks! I feel better! Can we eat now?" he asked before lightly hopping off the barrel and strolling toward the kitchen with a contented hum. He heard Hancock sigh and tut behind him before she followed, her long dress swishing as she walked. Luffy held onto the top of his hat as a swift breeze whisked across the deck.

Being on the ship with Hancock wasn't the same as being on the Sunny with all his friends, but he didn't have to be sad about it anymore. No matter what, they would see each other again, and Luffy could still rely on their strength in the trial ahead- he knew they would be shouting from the sidelines, cheering their captain on in spirit, and that knowledge was enough to get him raring to go.


	29. On My Heart and Soul

Category: Romantic Fluff

Characters: Sanji and Nami

Requested by: fangirlingwithnoregrets (Tumblr)

Nami's kimono swept around her feet as she stole out of the alliance hideaway, where the remainder of her crew members and samurai were currently settling in to sleep for the night; they would depart at dawn for their respective assignments, continuing to march forward towards their plan to overthrow the Shogun Orochi. That was the plan, at least, but it seems there was a wrench thrown in its gears at every turn- their identities and alliance had more or less been discovered by Orochi and his goons, Law's crewmates had been captured and he had stormed off to the Flower Capital and that could really go one way or another, and Luffy had also landed himself in prison and was probably up to no good. It was enough to give Nami a raging headache, and so while the high-energy bunch was inside fervently discussing the pending revolution, Nami had decided to sneak outside for some much-needed silence and isolation. She walked a short way down the grassy hill before she found a nice-sized rock that would comfortably bear her weight, and she eased herself down on its flat surface before tilting her head up to gaze up at the starry sky above.

Many a night she had done this, when her emotions ran high; they certainly were now, with everything that was happening. Nami had always been the one in the crew to be rattled by their uncanny ability to attract troublesome situations at every possible turn; it wasn't so much as severe anxiety as it was a quiet worry, a _What if this happens?, What can go wrong next?, What if this time it doesn't work out? _Nami of course had the utmost faith in her captain and crewmates, as they had always pulled through despite the most dire of circumstances, but in the dark of night when she was alone with her thoughts, the darkness seemed to creep into her very soul, corrupting that optimism into bitter, fearful unease. Arguably they were in their most crucial and dangerous situation ever. Entire nations had been dependent upon them before, such as in Alabasta or Dressrosa, but this was the first time that an Emperor was concerned, and from what she had seen at the bathhouse, several of the others from the Worst Generation as well. On top of that, they were constantly being scattered across the islands like cherry blossom petals in the breeze. With a deep sigh, Nami leaned forward to lean her cheeks in her hands, her hazel eyes still staring at the starry night sky above to derive some sort of comfort from the glittering lights. It was hard to find.

_I want to have faith, but… It's just hard sometimes. _

Nami glanced over her shoulder as she heard the crunch of boots against the soft grass, and she grimaced slightly when she saw Sanji strolling down the hill, his face illuminated by the soft orange glow of his lit cigarette. She tossed her head primly with an exaggerated huff.

"I'm still angry at you, you know." She didn't even have to look at him to see him deflate in defeat; the high-pitched, distressed tone of his voice was enough.

"Nami-swan, it wasn't like that, really!" he whined, stopping short of her rocky perch as if to ask permission to sit beside her. Nami wasn't angry, not really; she was quite used to his shenanigans, and knew that he had been chased into the bathhouse by Basil Hawkins and X Drake after his cover was blown in the streets of the Flower Capital. Without turning back to him, she slid over to the right side of the smooth stone and patted the empty space behind her. Perhaps sensing her melancholy mood, Sanji did not squeal with delight and wiggle to her side with hearts pumping in his eyes, but casually walked over and eased himself onto the stone while taking a drag from his cigarette. As he blew out the smoke, it swirled in front of his face in wisps before drifting upwards toward the canvas of night above their heads. "You wanna talk about it, or are you going to pretend like you're not worried and make me drag it out of you?"

Nami puffed out her cheeks at his brusque accusation. It was unlike Sanji to be so serious and forward, and it almost made her want to be coy, combative, and do exactly that. However, Nami knew when she was caught, and she turned her head to the side slightly, her eyes fixed on the gently swaying grass that was dyed silver by the light of moon and stars.

"A lot could go wrong."

"Yup. That's true," he shrugged, and she looked at him with a dour expression, because that wasn't what she wanted to hear. He wasn't looking at her, but out at the rolling hills and the collections of burning lanterns in the distance that was the Flower Capital. "But we'll get through it like we always do, because that's just how it goes." Nami frowned slightly; she had expected something more profound, more uplifting, but he had just uttered those words as if saying them alone would be true. Even more confounding was that Nami was comforted by that; as if by playing it off as nothing, Sanji had erased the idea that there was a problem at all, like the worst-case scenario was still just a simple obstacle to overcome. "We've gotten this far, Nami. We can't stop until the end." It was then that he turned to smile softly at her, and that kind smile seemed so different than all the ones she had received before; it brought a blush to her cheeks and a heat to her skin, and, flustered, she had to drop her gaze to the cluster of little wildflowers rustling against the hem of her kimono because his gentle eyes were still somehow too intense for her.

"But…" The words did not leave her lips, but the rebuttal hung loudly in the air. She thought of every struggle they had overturned thus far, every impossible mountain leveled by the might of their friendship, every miserable situation they had gleaned hope from and come out on top. Nami's inner demon continued to prowl within her, its fangs dripping with fear, its claws scratching anxiety deep into her tissue. It had always lived within her, rearing its ugly head in the deep of night when Nami could not keep it at bay; it had been with her since the day that Bellamere had been murdered and she had been enslaved by Arlong. The root of her fear had shifted over time, but it continued to feed on her insecurities and worrisome thoughts, nourished by the tumult of her life, but it had grown remarkably after Sanji had been taken by Big Mom; many nights of late she had laid awake in its clutches, helpless to its growls and whispers of doom. As Nami struggled in its clutches now, before she knew it, tears had begun to stream from her eyes; they glistened like rivers of diamond on her face, glittering with the bright moonlight. Her fear now was her greatest fear yet, and she had only realized it after that day on Zou. "I'm afraid to lose you, Sanji," she whispered.

The wall she had built around her heart crumbled into sand and was carried away by the ever-present breeze, like Sanji's smoke. She couldn't force the sarcasm or indifference; she could not merely laugh at his obvious affections and sweet words; she could not put up a bold, brave front and play off her fears. Sitting beside her, trembling with fright as she silently wept, Nami had so easily been reduced down to her purest, rawest feelings. She wasn't sure when she had fallen for him, but his constant presence and devotion had chipped away at her little by little like a persistent river carving through a canyon; she was also unsure of why she had ignored it, kept up the status quo rather than embracing her feelings and returning the love and care he had given her over the last few years. Again, it was probably that beast, sowing its seeds of threat, uttering, "_Something will go wrong, he'll be snatched from you sooner or later_." Nami was tired of being afraid, and right now, she just wanted the comfort of the one who truly loved and understood her. Sanji was still reeling in her whisper, and she scooched closer to him, her shaking hands curling into his striped-pattern kimono. She bowed her head, her tears dripping down to splash into her lap. "I'm _so_ scared, Sanji, and I just don't know what to _do_ anymore."

"Oh, Nami," he sighed, and without hesitation wrapped her in his strong arms and propped his chin on her head as he pulled her into him. Nami buried her face into his chest, inhaling his aroma of smoke and savory and sweet foods; it filled her every being, driving back that snapping beast of hers just a little. "No one's going anywhere, especially not me." He rhythmically rubbed circles into her back, and with every rotation Nami felt the fear melting from her body like snow under the brilliance of the sun. She laid her cheek against him, feeling comfort in his heart gently beating. His hand then slid underneath her chin to tilt her head upwards, and Nami allowed it, gazing miserably up into those eyes that still shone so gently yet powerfully. His thumb swept across her cheek in just the lightest of touches, catching her still-falling tears and wiping them away.

"Promise?"

"On my heart and soul," he affirmed with a small smile, "and I'll give any of those losers a personal ass-kicking if they think of doing otherwise, too." His little joke brought a chuckle out of her. While her mood had lightened considerably in just a moment, Sanji was still quite serious. "I love you, Nami." He said it so often, but Nami knew that it was no casual remark or flirtatious exclaim this time; desire and passion were a burning flame in the dark of his black irises, a beacon against the shadows that kept Nami in their thrall. Nami wanted so desperately to grasp it, to bask in its warmth for every night hence, letting its comfort and hope fill her up forever.

"I love you too, Sanji." She was shocked at how easily the confession slipped from her lips, but thus far, the wily cook had so effortlessly pulled everything else out of her that it really wasn't shocking at all. His smile morphed into a loving smirk, and as his face descended over hers, Nami did not pull away. Her eyes fluttered closed as his mouth softly swept over hers, enveloping her into a tender yet passionate kiss. His hands continued to cup her cheek with his thumb tracing patterns over her skin, while Nami's crept up his chest, up to his shoulders with her nails digging slightly into the woven fabric of his kimono. Sanji's other hand slid around her waist to the small of her back, pressing her forward so that not a centimeter of space was between their middles. He tilted his head as he drove the kiss deeper, and Nami happily obliged, letting the heat of his love drive that negative monster inside of her into a cage once and for all. Nami locked it inside the back of her mind and tossed away the key, filling herself only with the sun that was Sanji, her love, her knight, her anchor in the waves of the uncertain sea before them. They kissed there for a long while, their only spectators the moon and stars who bathed them in their white glow and made them shine like spectral bodies on Earth.

Nami's tears had ceased by the time Sanji pulled back, but his thumb continued to move across her cheek. He gazed warmly down at her, his face still quite close to hers, and tilted his head with a smile while his eyes remained captured by her warm brown ones.

"I know there's a lot of fighting ahead of us, Nami, but I promise I'll come back to you," he murmured before pulling her head slightly to press a long kiss into her tangerine hair. Nami nestled her head into his neck, not wishing to be free of his embrace anytime soon.

"I promise, too."

_I promise… On my heart and soul, that both belong to you, now and forever. _


	30. A Dream of the Stars Upon Earth

Category: Romantic Fluff

Characters: Sanji and Nami

Requested By: fangirlingwithnoregrets (Tumblr)

_**Alternatum to Milk, Cookies, and Confessions of Love**_

"_Ah-choo!_"

Nami miserably rubbed the reddening bottom of her runny nose, after which she recoiled in disgust as the clear fluid that was leaking from her nostrils smeared across the line of her finger, and with no consideration of tact or propriety she wiped the disgusting efflux off on the fuzzy fabric of her blanket before sitting up in her bed with a small sigh. It was the night following their determinant battle with King Wapol and his goons; Nami had still been recovering from her jungle-acquired fever anyway, and Luffy and Sanji had acquired new injuries on top of the ones they had been healing from to begin with. The resident doctor, Tony Tony Chopper the reindeer, had also fought valiantly for his home and had not escaped unscathed, and as such, they were all under the care of Dr. Kureha in the abandoned Drum Castle. The aforementioned boys were sleeping across the room, all three of them a disorganized mess of limb and blanket; despite Nami's reservations with sharing a room with them, for she was a _lady _and it was quite inappropriate, Luffy and Sanji had apparently been so unabashedly adamant that the irritable doctor had relented to spare herself their incessant wheedling. Chopper, who had formed quite an attachment to the Straw Hat captain, now refused to be separated from him and so had also made arrangements to cram in the already crammed makeshift hospital wing. Nami watched them through lidded eyes, her nut-brown irises following the rhythmic rise and falls of their chests; it seemed her sneeze had not awoken them.

Nami was no longer in thrall of her illness, but her cold-like symptoms persisted largely because of the poor insulation of the castle atop the icy peak in an already icy country. Wind slithered through the cracks in the seams between the worn gray bricks, creeping across the stone floors before jumping up to swirl around Nami in her bed. As the wisps of air danced over her skin, they left goosepimples in their wake and stole the heat from her body before swirling away into the night. Even as she drew the thick comforter around her, Nami shuddered under the combined assault of the playful chill and the lingering low-grade fever. She cast her gaze to the window to find that it was still nighttime; through the frosty, fern-like patterns of ice within the glass pane, she could see the black canvas of the sky with faintly glimmering stars that lie beyond. Nami exhaled bitterly through her nose- well, as well as she could with it being clogged uncomfortably with snot- before she wrapped the comforter around her being and slid down from the bed. _A walk around the castle should warm me up a little, _she reasoned as her feet found the fluffy slippers that the castle's two residents had loaned her. Like a penguin, burdened by the weight of her downy fortress, she waddled over to the bedroom door and gradually eased it open. The creak of the rusted hinges pierced the silence of the night like a banshee, and she nervously watched the three boys as she created a gap just big enough for her to squish through; they slept peacefully on. Nami hastily exited the room and gently shut the door back, only allowing herself to heave a sigh of relief once the latch hitched; then, bustling her blankets around her, she began her trek through the circular halls of Drum Castle.

As Nami plodded along, her slippers sliding against the faded carpet that lined the stone floor, the wind continued to swirl around her in its chilly ballet. As she passed on of the large windows that gave a view to the valley, she paused to peer out of one; the snow was applied like thick paint to the ground, starkly contrasting the black ink above, and just along the horizon glimmered warm clusters of faintly orange-yellow light, marking the various villages of Drum Kingdom. The moonlight, cool and white in comparison, streamed through the window to bathe Nami in its mute brilliance, turning her tangerine locks into threads of gold and her tanned skin the color of fresh cream. Her breath fogged against the chilled glass pane, spreading in a mist until her vision of the landscape outside was eclipsed. As the winter chill jumped from the window to grab at her with eager fingers, she hastily pulled herself away from the window and continued to trek down the hallway, her downy blanket shuffling around her legs as she trotted along.

Like Nami had hoped, the exercise sent warm blood pumping through her veins, driving away the cold that had seeped into her body. By the time she made it to a part of the castle she had not yet explored, a thin layer of warm perspiration had formed between herself and the blanket, and a warm tone had returned to her skin and a rosiness to her cheeks. Nami actually pulled off the comforter and folded it neatly as her interest was captured by a set of elegantly carved double doors; as she set it down against the wall and walked over, her brown eyes inspecting every detail of the magnificent craftsmanship, she could see that effigies of native animals were carved into its surface. Reindeer with large, curling antlers pranced regally beside pine trees, while wererabbits hid their hulking frames in snowdrifts. Hawks circled in the swirling clouds overhead, their sharp eyes trained on the foxes slinking about through the skeletons of scrubby bushes. Nami ran her fingers across the smooth wood, and of course found it cold to the touch; she wondered what must lay beyond such an extravagant specimen, and so her hand drifted down to the iron door handle and gave it an experimental pull. She heard the mechanisms grinding within, but the door surprisingly yielded quite easily. Nami slowly pulled the heavy door aside, then yelped as she was abruptly assaulted by the howling, whirling wind that leaped out from behind it. Pellets of snow sprayed across the carpet like paint flung from a brush, and landed in Nami's fluttering strands of hair as she huddled against the wooden door in an attempt to escape the maelstrom. After a minute, the gale died down to a continuous rustling breeze, and Nami rubbed her paling arms and tried to keep her clattering teeth from nipping her tongue as she considered whether to abandon the exploration and return to the safety and warmth of her bed. She decided to at least have a peek into the room, and as she cautiously peered around, she was grateful that she had.

Beyond the intricately carved doors was a splendorous ballroom, the like of which Nami had never seen; the floor was pure marble, white with rivers of silver and gray, with darker granite arranged throughout in a tasteful pattern. Support columns of alabaster ringed the circular room, contrasting the stone walls that were smothered with beautifully woven tapestries depicting graceful dancers and chivalrous knights. The ceiling was domed and constructed completely of glass, not stained but completely clear, making it seem like the sky itself ceilinged the glorious room. However, part of the domed roof had shattered, causing a waterfall of snow to spill in and smother the backside of the dance hall and allow the persistent wind to descend in to give its own performance. Snow flurries were whirling about the room, riding the air current like winter fairies in a procession; they stole Nami's breath away as they whirled by, so mesmerized was she by the ethereal display. Without realizing it she walked into the center of the room, her brown eyes dyed silver as they gazed wide up through the glass at the starry night sky above while the snowflakes continued their eternal performance.

"My lady, might I ask for a dance?"

Nami jumped violently and her head snapped to the entrance as she was addressed. She had no idea she had been followed; Sanji was leaning against the threshold of the door with a cigarette burning in his mouth, and the wisps of his smoke joined the snow flurries in their ballet while the burning tip of the cigarette cast a burning glow against his smirking face. Nami puffed out his cheeks at him, admittedly disappointed that the lascivious cook had interrupted the dreamlike moment. "What are you doing up?" he asked, the smirk falling from his lips as he gazed at her with a serious expression.

"I woke up because I was cold, so I decided to go for a walk to try and warm myself up. I was just on my way back," she reported while turning towards him with her hands on her hips. "What about you? I didn't mean to wake you."

"I was awake; I just pretended to be asleep. This spine injury of mine makes it hard to sleep," he grimaced while tenderly rubbing his fractured vertebrae. "I thought you would come back after a minute or so, but when you didn't I got worried, and came looking for you." He took a deep drag of his cigarette before pulling it from his mouth to exhale the thick smog, watching as it was instantly snatched away by the ever-present wind. His dark eyes watched as the wisps were shredded under its fierce claws, and were drawn up to the ceiling of stars glimmering above their heads. "It certainly is a glamorous ballroom. It's a shame that it's fallen into disrepair like this."

"Yeah, who knows the last time someone danced in here," she shrugged, cocking one hip to the side as she held up one upturned hand and closed her eyes while shaking her head. She cracked her eyes back open when she heard Sanji's booted feet against the smooth marble and granite floor, and looked up at him quizzically when he stopped in front of her with a playful smirk. "What?"

"You never answered my question. Here, let me ask again properly," he purred, then placed one hand behind his back and bowed his head as low as his injury would allow while holding out his free hand to her. "I humbly request a dance of a gorgeous lady, if you would have me." Nami rolled her eyes at his dramatized rendition of propriety, but rather than be annoyed by it, she was amused. She decided to humor him for a while, as she was still far from sleepy, and obediently slid her slender hand into his well-kept ones. Her eyes twitched as he looked up with a grin and quickly brought her hand to his lips so he could softly press a kiss to the top of it.

"Watch it, mister. Don't get carried away," she warned, trying to put more bite into the words than she was truly feeling. Warmth bloomed where his mouth touched her skin, and identically in the middle of her chest where her heartbeat jumped; perhaps it was the ethereal atmosphere, filling the world with a sense of romanticism, but the faintest haze of pink blossomed across Nami's cheeks as well. Sanji just smiled coyly at her and smoothly pulled her into position, holding her hand up while his curled about her waist. She continued to stare at him with a lion's intensity as her hand rested on his shoulder, but in reality she felt more like the antelope, cornered and meek. There was something so _dangerous _about the way he was gazing at her right now, a smoldering fire deep in the black of his eyes, but it was a danger that Nami wanted to dive headlong into, a heat that she wanted to bathe herself in.

"Me? Carried away? I scoff at the notion," he answered coolly before he began to guide her expertly in the dance. They slowly whirled about the ballroom, their feet crunching in frost and bits of shattered glass as they mirrored the eternal waltz of the wind and snow caught beneath the domed roof, and all the while Sanji's gaze remained fixed on Nami's face. Nami found herself even more transfixed by this than the wonder of the wintery ballroom, and was unable to tear her gaze away, or do anything really but stare back with her mouth slightly agape in nothing short of awe. Had Sanji's blonde hair always had that beautiful sheen to it, or was it the celestial light playing tricks on her eyes? The way he was holding her, too, so sure of himself as he carried her effortlessly along, was setting her heart to a furious tempo. Nami had no idea what he was thinking as he watched her with that calm, calculated, fiery gaze, and she closed her mouth as she gulped slightly. She wondered if she had fallen into a dream; the entire thing was just that extraordinarily sensual and romantic, neither of which she normally associated with the flirty Sanji. "Nami," he said suddenly, drawing her out of her slightly panicky fit.

"H-Huh?"

"I'm really relieved that you're safe." A blush blazed across her cheeks as he leaned forward to press his forehead against hers. While she would normally react with ire, she was still so out of sorts that she just allowed it, still captured in that smoldering fire of his eyes. "I don't know what I would've done if…" he trailed off with a pained expression, as if the words themselves were a thorn in his tongue, unable to be forced out. Nami knew that he wasn't exaggerating for the sake of scoring points with her, but that his concern was heartfelt and genuine. Nami's heart swelled with gratitude and joy, and she deigned to pull herself a little bit, an arc forming in her back as their middles brushed slightly together while they continued to slowly traverse circles across the snowy floor.

"I have you to thank for my safety, Sanji. You and Luffy carried me up the mountain… I don't know what _I_ would've done without _you_," she smiled sweetly at him. Sanji mirrored her smile, and then his eyes flickered down to her lips for a brief second. Nami knew what was coming next, what his intention was, but strangely, she did not find the idea revolting or distressing; she welcomed it, wanted it, more than she thought she ever would have. Almost moving on instinct, she tilted her head upward and to the side as Sanji's face slowly descended to kiss her. At the exact moment their lips met, moonlight blazed into the room at full intensity, reflecting in the snow that swirled incessantly around their slow-dancing floors; the wind sang in a melodious symphony in tune with Nami's singing heart, carrying the snow flurries around them in a swirling sphere. As the joy and love and ecstasy of it all burst inside Nami, her world became clear and blurry all at once, and the glittering snowflakes were not snowflakes but the stars themselves, the shimmering snow at their feet was not snow but the wispy, soft clouds, both diving to Earth in a tremendous crescendo to serenade the lone pair of dancers in the long-forgotten ballroom. Nami's hand drifted from Sanji's shoulder to the back of his neck, while his migrated to the small of her back; the fingers of their other hands, still held aloft, crept apart such that they could entwine tightly together. Captured in the night and the kiss of the man who she had realized stolen her heart without her realizing it, Nami was contented to remain in that dream for the rest of time, for that short, sweet moment.

Nami was not sure how long they kissed, but by the time they had broken apart they had stopped dancing and were just standing in the center of the room, their faces flushed and their skin shining with a thin layer of sweat. Sanji cupped Nami's cheek in his hand, sweeping her orange hair behind her ear while he gazed lovingly down at her.

"I _must_ be dreaming," he laughed airily.

"Funny, I was just thinking the same. D'ya think we could be having the same dream?"

"Oh, I hope so," came his rumbling reply, bringing an impish smile to Nami's face as she wound her arm around his neck and began to curl her fingers about the ends of his straight blonde locks. Sanji once more brought her hand, still locked in his grasp, to his lips to press a kiss to the top, holding it for a long time before pressing lighter kisses along her knuckles. Nami watched him with a warm smile, enjoying the feeling his lips left behind on her skin and the romantic mood of it all-

The romantic mood that was utterly ruined as she abruptly sneezed in Sanji's face.

"I'm so sorry!" she gasped in mortification as he frowned deeply and began rubbing phlegm off his face. Blushing darkly, she hid her face in her hands, while Sanji just laughed heartily. "It's not funny, Sanji! Oh, man, what a moodkiller," she groaned while peering through her fingers at him.

"It's okay, Nami, I thought it was cute," he snickered as he shook the sleeve of his fur-lined jacket lightly. The embarrassed navigator just continued to wallow in her astronomically bad luck, whining, until Sanji wrapped an arm around her and pulled her into his chest. Hiding her fiery face in the folds of his thick jacket, he stroked her hair while continuing to laugh. She could feel it rumbling in his chest, vibrating against her face, and though it was kind of at her expense she felt a little better. "Ah, that was funny, but probably not a good side. We really should get you back to bed, Nami! We have to press on to Alabasta, after all; can't have you sick forever."

"No. I like the sound of crawling into bed and never getting out," she muttered. He laughed again before pulling her away from him. Her fingers clung desperately to the downy fabric of his coat, trying to pull herself back into his embrace where she did not have to face the reality of what she just did, but to no avail. He patted her head as she continued to pout pathetically. "Look on the bright side; I'm probably the only guy who would let you sneeze in his face and not get mad."

"That _doesn't help_, Sanji!" she wailed and whirled around, running out of the ballroom to dive into her comforter and make herself into a quivering fortress of isolation. Sanji's laughter bounced into the hall as he followed her, and only her grimacing, red face peeked out of him. "I hate you. Stop teasing me."

"I'm not teasing! Really! It was so adorable, your face all scrunched up and that little high-pitched mousy sneeze~" He cooed as he crouched down in front of her, grinning with his cigarette clenched in his teeth. Nami turned her back to him with a haughty huff, turning up her chin at him.

"You think that's a compliment? Jeez, you're dense." It was only playful banter, now; Nami was still mildly embarrassed, but at least glad he really didn't care, even if that was kinda gross. She continued to sit there with her chin upturned as Sanji continued to try and get her up with no success; then, suddenly, the floor fell away beneath her. She squeaked in alarm and threw her arms out of the blanket to cling to the nearest thing, which happened to be the playful cook, who had decided enough was enough and picked her up, massive blanket and all. He pushed aside the comforter so that he could see and grin brightly at her.

"There. Much better."

"I hate you," she repeated and stuck out her tongue at him.

"I love you too, Nami," he winked with a breathy chuckle, and successfully managed to get Nami flustered once more. He began to stroll back through the castle as Nami steamed like a boiling egg, short-circuiting so much that she couldn't even speak, just stare intensely at him. "If you wanna say something, say it, Nami!" he laughed at her. _Ugh, it's frustrating how it's so easy for him! _

"… Fine. I love you," she grumbled finally, admitting defeat. Sanji turned his head to beam triumphantly at her, then leaned forward to give her a soft peck on the end of her nose. Despite herself, she could not help but smile widely in joy, and as he was pulling away she poked her head forward to bump her nose against his affectionately. "So continue to keep me safe, okay?"

"That's a promise," he assured her with a big smirk.

Sanji continued to carry her off down the hall, and Nami once again cast her gaze out of the large window as they passed one. The stars had vacated the ballroom to shine like beacons against the endless sea of night above, but their dance was forever in Nami's memory. She rested her head against Sanji's shoulder, the sleepiness finally setting in, and she silently hoped that her dream would not end anytime soon…


	31. A Present for Nami Part II

Category: Romantic Fluff

Characters: Sanji and Nami

Requested by: Anonymous User

Sanji took a long drag from his cigarette as he stood at the railing of the ship, gazing quietly out at the endless expanse of indigo waves stretching out in all directions before him. It was funny how often things were taken to granted when they were always present in the backdrop of life. As soon as they were torn away, it was suddenly evident that that thing was impossibly necessary, and its absence became something painful. The rolling sea was such a thing for Sanji, as he had spent an agonizing time apart from its gentle melodies of sloshing water and soft kisses of salty spray. Perhaps it was not merely just the sea itself, but the act of standing upon the Thousand Sunny looking out at it that had been what had made his heart yearn while he was held captive by Big Mom and her massive brood of destructive children. Either way, that aching chasm had been filled once his gaze had landed upon the horizon, filling him with an odd sense of _completeness. _

Night had fallen once more. The _Thousand Sunny_ was currently sailing full-speed for Wano after successfully, albeit narrowly, plucking Sanji from the vicious claws of the giantess. After such a tense experience, the ship had descended into a restful slumber. The cook, however, felt no ounce of drowsiness within his being, and had thus meandered out onto the familiar yet foreign deck to turn his eyes upon the tapestry of ocean spread beyond its sturdy frame. As the smoke swirled in wisps before his face before gently being swept away by the breeze, he stared out at the two-toned landscape. The continuously rolling sea seemed to capture the starlight for itself, replicating it in forms like glittering diamonds tossing about in the foamy spray. The moon hung low in the sky tonight to bathe the world in its mute white brilliance; the streams caught in Sanji's blonde strands to turn them a pale cream. He remained in his white tuxedo, having not the energy or thought to change as of yet, and its thread seemed to soak up the moonlight to glow with all the splendor of freshly fallen snow. Truly, it was a calm night, and per the recent events, Sanji _relished_ it. _Calmness _was also something he had taken for granted, the ability to simply _be _without the intrusive thoughts that one's actions could lead directly to another's death. It was a burden he was glad to be rid of.

Sanji finished the last of his cigarette before removing it from his teeth and flicking it out into the sea. The waves greedily swallowed the bud, its burning ember point vanishing under the assault of the overwhelming blue. As his body shifted to act, he became aware of a lump within his inner coat pocket; with a raised eyebrow, he fished it out. In his hand was a small box tied with string, or rather, that's what it originally was. The package had been deformed, pushed in at odd places with creamy frosting leaking out of one of the seams. _Nami's cake! _Though he had been charged by Chiffon to see the dessert safely to the navigator, he had tremendously failed at the endeavor. His mood plummeted as he stared down at the crumpled package and the promise he had carried, the_ promise_ to himself to finally profess his feelings to the woman who held his heart.

"Whatcha got there?"

Sanji whirled about as he while hiding the pathetically injured box behind his back. He knew, of course, who had spoken, because how could he forget that lovely voice of Nami's? She had awoken from sleep, wandered out onto the deck for a bit of fresh air. She probably came to stargaze- which she often did, as he had noticed- and spotted him inspecting the tiny parcel. Sanji tried to play it off, chuckling nonchalantly as he rubbed the back of his neck, but really, he just made himself look more suspicious. It seemed that the acting skills he had displayed on Whole Cake Island had made a hasty getaway.

"Nothing at all, Nami-swan! What are you doing awake at this hour? A beautiful woman needs her rest, you know," he trilled while continuing to laugh breathily. Nami's brown eyes narrowed, and she stomped over to him to attempt to peer around his well-built frame and catch a glimpse of what he was hiding. Sweating now, Sanji weaved around her piercing gaze. "Really! I'm not hiding anything!" he protested.

"I'm not an idiot, Sanji. Lemme see!" Desperate to get at the secret, Nami unabashedly pressed herself against him while groping behind his back in an attempt to grab it. Sanji's face turned the color of ripe apples as her chest pressed against his, and steam nearly blasted out of his ears as the gears in his mind went into screaming overdrive. He almost fainted there on the spot at the sensual touch that Nami was utterly unaware of because of his fixation on the hidden present, but Sanji managed to steel himself and remain conscious. She stuck out her tongue as she pushed further, literally pinning him against the balustrade of the vessel. He had to jerk his arm out over the frothing sea to avoid crushing the little cake and send it splattering all across his well-tailored white tuxedo. He pondered for a moment whether or not to just drop it into the sea and be done with it, making the embarrassing little thing vanish, but he did not. Rather, he _could_ not; he would never be able to face Chiffon, who had helped him bake the present for Nami that carried his purest feelings.

"Dammit, Sanji, stop being mean! I just wanna know what you're hiding!" she pouted up at him like a child, her chin resting in the middle of his chest. It was quite clear that she was trying to use her feminine wiles to her advantage and was frustrated that Sanji did not melt into a puddle of obedient gush at the slightest application of them. Sanji exhaled deeply, too tired from trying to do just that, and planted a hand on her shoulder to firmly pry her body from his.

"All right, fine, but you can't laugh," he ordered.

"Why would I?" she blinked at him with a frown. She crossed her arm and cocked her hip, finger tapping furiously against the muscle of her forearm- impatient as she ever was. Sanji straightened himself up, and, very hesitantly, revealed the crumpled box. Nami's nut-brown eyes widened slightly as she beheld the unassuming little parcel she had been so adamant about clapping eyes on.

"It was supposed to be for you, but… It kind of got damaged with all the fighting. Sorry," he admitted quietly. He wasn't quite sure how she would react, so he just stood there with his eyes downcast. He saw Nami's delicate little hands reach out, hesitate for a second in front of the parcel, then enclose around the side of the box. His gaze followed it as she pulled it to herself and slowly untied the string. It fell away, writhing like a snake as it fell to the ground and coiled between them. Her silence unnerved him, and so his gaze flickered upward to her face so that he could read her expression. Her eyebrows were raised slightly with her eyes fixed upon the disaster that must have been that small cake, and her lips were parted slightly. He could tell she was a little surprised, but he could not gauge where the conversation would go next. He fidgeted nervously, shifting his weight uncomfortably from one leg to another. _This isn't how I wanted it to go; it's not right… _"Look, I know it looks awful now, so can you just-"

Without a word, Nami plucked a tangerine half-smothered in frosting and popped it into her mouth. As he gawked at her, her eyes turned upwards to meet his while chewing on the citrus slice calmly.

"It's delicious, Sanji," she answered tranquilly when she swallowed. Sanji, having not expected such a reaction, just continued to stare at her with his mouth hanging open as she delicately pulled a piece of the angel food cake from the box and stuck it in her mouth. Admittedly, his heart fluttered slightly as she licked the frosting from her fingertips. Nami's eyes had his own locked within a vice grip the entire time, and she must have known had maddeningly sexy the whole display was. "Did you make this?"

"Chiffon and I did. She wanted to know your favorites to make you a cake as thanks for helping Lola." Nami nodded at his explanation, continuing to just casually eat the cake with her fingers as if she was not intentionally provocative about it the entire time. Sanji's heart, initially stopped in his chest, had taken up a furious tempo; his fingers twitched slightly, as his senses drowned in the joy that Nami was enjoying his creation. However, there was just something _off_ about the entire thing; the way that she was behaving that had his instincts buzzing. Nami was like an unpredictable tiger, currently content and purring and playful, but who knew if that invitation would lead to a painful mauling? It was almost as if she knew there was a deeper meaning behind the little cake, and was intentionally being coy to draw it out of him. It was certainly in her wily nature. He continued to watch her eat the cake, and _she_ watched _him_, calculating and daring. It's not like Sanji was _unwilling_; he had spent agonizing hours in the thrall of his regret of not telling the gorgeous navigator the true depths of his feelings. _Even if it isn't how I envisioned… It's still my chance. _

"Nami," he murmured and reached out to lightly catch her elbow. Her eyes did not falter from his for a moment; it was like she was searching him, trying to riddle out if the words that were going to pass his lips were some fleeting fancy. "Nami, I-" He was suddenly silenced when she shoved a rather large chunk of the cake into his open mouth. He recoiled with large eyes, the confection only limply held between his teeth as the frosting began to melt on his tongue, spreading its sugary goodness across his taste buds. He was hardly aware of it because he was so reeling with confusion. Nami grinned coyly as she sucked a bit of the whipped frosting from her finger. _Unpredictable vixen… _he thought with a resigned sigh, his mouth curling upward into a smile.

"It wouldn't be fair if you didn't get a taste of the wonderful cake you made, now would it?" she laughed lightly as she tossed the now-empty box aside. Sanji was now chewing thoughtfully on the cake. He honestly had no clue what was going on anymore; the situation had spiraled rapidly out of control, the ball was in the navigator's court, and he had decided he was just going to stand there and let her run the show. She placed a hand on his hip as she regarded him levelly. It now seemed as if she were searching herself, whether she wanted to hear what he had to say at all. After a moment, she very softly murmured, "Now… What were you going to say?"

"I love you, Nami," he spit out immediately. Now that he had committed, he could no longer contain himself. He grabbed her by her upper arms, firmly but not violently, as he took a step closer to her with his eyes boring intently into her own. "I mean it, really, _I do_." Sanji knew that the odds were not in his favor. He knew he had a penchant for cherishing women; it was just the way he was. He couldn't _help_ but want to make every woman feel like a goddess. But Nami was his supreme deity, the queen of them all, the one whom he yearned to please the most. "Even if you don't feel the same way, I want to know tha-"

Once again, he was silenced, this time by Nami's lips smothering his own. He went rigid with shock as she stood on her tip-toes to softly kiss him, her hand sliding across the back of his neck to tangle her fingers into the ends of his blonde hair. He was still a statue carved of stone when she pulled back with a small smile.

"You had frosting on your mouth. I couldn't let it go to waste." At her utterance, he suddenly regained the ability to move and looked down at her incredulously. Then, he was seized by an overwhelming burst of passion and need to have her mouth against his own once more. His lips crashed against hers, feverish, _desperate_. His hands rose to cup her soft cheeks as their lips began to dance together in a passionate samba, before one of them moved to the back of her head to mingle with her wild waves of tangerine hair. Nami's body molded against his, fitting her every curve against his rigidly sculpted muscles like an interlocking puzzle. Sanji tried to pour every ounce of his undying love for her into that kiss, silently conveying everything he could not in words. He could _never_ put it into words, the way he felt about her, how she was the center of his world, this divine being that he worshipped, whom he wanted to hold and cherish and treasure for the rest of his life. He knew he wasn't worthy of her, she that shone with all the power and majesty of the sun; he was just a meager weed begging to be graced with her shimmering waves. He kissed her hungrily, because he had been _starved_ of her, she that was a life-giving spring he so drastically wished to bathe in after spending so long at the edge. Sanji felt all this and _so _much more, and Nami received all of that willingly. In return, he got her acceptance, her admission, her divine graces.

His hands had begun to explore the nuances of her body, carefully marking every curve in the perfect roadmap that she was. Imploring, he ran his tongue along her bottom lip, and she graciously complied, parting her lips to allow him entry. He pushed the kiss further, angling his head while pulling her tongue into a tumultuous tango, swirling within the ballroom that was their mouths. Nami's fingers curled into the thick fabric of his tuxedo as her breathing began to grow ragged, and that sound of exertion sent Sanji into a high. The sweet taste of her like the purest honey over his tongue, the sound of her light gasps that was like a harmonic symphony in his ears, the electric pulses that her touch sent rocketing through his nerves- it was all enough to get him drunker than he had ever been. Barely thinking straight anymore, he pulled back to pepper her face in light kisses, everywhere he could reach, whispering that he loved her between every breath while tears fell from his eyes. He loved her so much that it _hurt_, a tightness in his chest like he was suffocating. His Nami, who had given herself to him, who he would give his life for and wanted to raise to the goddess that she was in his eyes- he showered her in all the love he had to offer and more. In his fit of ecstatic delirium, he wondered if he had fallen into some seductive nightmare and would soon awaken to find that he had fallen prey to lucid fantasies and nothing more.

But when he regained himself, panting heavily from exertion and overwhelming feeling, she was still there in his arms, her face hovering just beneath his. Her finger traced patterns down his jawline while her other curled around a strand of his hair, and she was smiling like she was waiting for him to say something.

"You had frosting on your mouth," was the first thing that came to mind. She giggled, and Sanji recalled that he absolutely adored the way she laughed; it sounded like the clearest of tinkling bells. After she finished laughing, she purred almost like a cat, and the way her chest rumbled against his made Sanji almost want to pull her back into another heated kiss.

"I love you too, Sanji." Every cell in his body sang as she whispered that, and he did not even try to hide his delight; his smile nearly broke his face as he leaned down to touch their foreheads, not even able to speak because of how stupidly and strongly he was grinning. She chuckled again. She continued to leave those tender touches along the side of his face while he ducked down to give her another soft kiss as a sign of his gratitude for returning his affections. It was a slow, gentle kiss, nothing like the intense display before. As he pulled back, she was smiling warmly too. "Just never pull another stupid stunt like that again, okay?" Though her tone was light, he could tell from the tightness in her facial muscles that she was nearly begging him.

"Of course. I'm never, ever, _ever_ leaving your side again, Nami-swan." She rolled her eyes playfully at his rather overdramatic response, because she knew Sanji would _literally_ cling to her like a burr to clothes.

"Don't go overboard."

Sanji chuckled breathily and, so intensely in love with the bold, powerful woman, once again swept her up into a kiss. With only the moon and stars as witnesses with the wind and sea providing orchestra for the two lone performers of passion, the _Thousand Sunny_ sailed on, bearing him and Nami onward into an uncertain future… But he was not concerned, because he had the woman he loved at his side, and she had him at hers, ever-locked in a bond of devotion and trust.


	32. The Tale of Carina

Category: Hurt and Comfort

Characters: Carina

Requested By: Anonymous User

_**Author's Note: **__Honestly wasn't sure what to categorize this as, because it's a little different than what I normally write, so that's the best I could come up with. XD I hope you guys enjoy it even though it isn't a romance; it was an interesting character study for me, at the least. Happy reading!_

As she lounged in a lovely flower-printed blue silk hammock stretched between two palm trees swaying in the continuous salty breeze, her curvy frame clothed in a luxurious white bikini and a piña colada in her bejeweled hands while she watched the glimmering red sun sink slowly below the gently rolling waves, Carina for the first time truly felt like she was in paradise. She pursed her lips in a smirk as she stirred the alcoholic beverage contained within the half-pineapple container; it was the thief's future that she had always dreamed of, retired on a tropical island with more money than she knew what to do with.

After bidding Nami and the rest of the Straw Hats farewell while making off with Gran Tesoro's casino ship, Carina had torn the massive structure apart acquiring everything valuable. It was true that he had no stash of gold hidden within his dreamlike nightmare of a vessel, but there was still plenty of money and jewelry and fine clothing to be had upon it. Once she had acquired everything she had wanted, she sold off the casino vessel and all the contents she did not wish to take with her, and instantly became a multi-billionaire. Perhaps the "ethical" thing to have done was to sink the ship, tainted with the blood and tears of hundreds, into the sea, but she was a woman with needs and material desires, after all. Sometimes, though, when the nice things and hundred-Belli bills were not enough to eclipse her mild guilt, her mind would wander to the ship's fate. Was it now simply an honest casino- or as honest as one could be-, or had it devolved into a slave vessel once more? Carina hoped not. She knew the pain of being owned.

It happened shortly after her departure from Nami all those years ago; she had narrowly escaped the clutches of the vicious pirates they had run afoul of and fled to a boisterous port island along the Grand Line. A small child, homeless and surviving by picking pockets, a human wrought low- she slunk about the streets amongst others of her ilk, raucous and brutish pirates, bloodthirsty bounty hunters, amorous prostitutes, dipping her hands where she would to make off with Belli and valuables. She had managed to acquire the basic things an urchin required in its rough life, a scratchy blanket and flat pillow nestled in an alleyway with a construction of discarded furniture and sheet metal to stave off the pouring rain, a little oil lamp to provide a small burning flame when the nights grew bitterly cold, a picture book she read two hundred and sixty-eight times and told herself she never tired of. Most of her Belli she spent on food, because she at least managed to hold onto enough pride not to dig through the garbage. Of course, she had to defend her humble home from those unwilling to do what it took, and earned herself several bruises, bloody noses and black eyes, broken knuckles and pale white scars. For almost a year she persisted like that, merely getting by- that is, until she was caught with her fingers in the wrong purse. Like a whirlwind had whipped her away to a foreign land, Carina suddenly found herself a slave.

It could have been worse. She could have been forced to work in mines, or serve as the packhorse pulling the nobles and their shopping for the day in their carriages, or worst of all, thrust into the seedy underworld of the child trade… No, Carina was one of the fortunate of the unfortunate; she was a maid. She was of tender age and could not meet the physical demands of scrubbing endless stretches of floor, climbing rickety ladders to dust crystal chandeliers at the peak of domed ceilings, sweeping and mopping and serving tea and cakes- plus, she maintained her rebellious attitude. If she allowed them to whittle her down to an obedient, meek member of the help, she would be nothing. It did not go unrewarded, though; many times Carina lay in her bunk, her face or behind stinging with vicious slaps, her back bleeding from tears from the whip's sharp teeth, her feet blistered and sore from the day's work. Years went on like that, and Carina grew from a disgruntled child to a young woman- but she never forgot, the taste of the open sea and the freedom of the salty wind, the feeling of smooth jewels and the glitter of gold… and she never relented.

She was fourteen when she first stepped foot on Gran Tesoro's grand casino ship. Her owners had of course heard the fuss, and needing to be among the highest of the high and knee-deep in the latest trend, they had booked a week-long extravagant getaway on the sailing resort. Carina had been the chosen of the help to come along, though she could never reason why; perhaps they feared if she was not under careful watch, she would pilfer their home and make off, which was not entirely unreasonable. Still, it was not an awful experience. The suite adjoined to her masters' was quite an improvement over her humble maid's berth in the mansion, outfitted with silk sheets and a down comforter over a mattress seemingly made of the clouds themselves, a full-sized bathroom luxury soaps and shampoos with a claw-foot tub you could sit a giant in, and all the other furnishings from her wildest dreams. Upon one night of staying there Carina decided that she never wanted to leave, and fate answered her wish.

Surrounded by so much money and wealth, Carina's thieving nature began to itch terribly. Her masters were so involved in their own gloating and pandering that their watch waned. If she could procure a gold watch or two, a stack of Belli, a string of pearls, some diamond earrings, anything at all in that mountain of hypocrisy and excess, surely she could buy her way out of her situation. She was actually making some headway, flitting about the slots nicking something here and there, until her masters came looking for her. Carina had panicked then and darted off, laden with her burden of near-freedom- and crashed right into the master of the casino ship. Her goods went scattering, coins arcing through the air, pearls spilling from her dress, bills flying about her like a hurricane. Her heart jumped in her throat, lodged there like the massive emerald brooch that clunked to her feet as she landed on her behind. Her masters were screeching in the background while the people around raised a fuss as they realized their items were now scattered about the lavender-haired girl, but Carina had eyes only for the man towering above her.

It was the first time that someone had truly smiled at her in such a long, long time.

"Are you all right, little one?" The care in his voice seemed so genuine, and the hand that he held out to her seemed so welcoming. Carina felt tears flooding her eyes as she extended her own shaking one to grasp his, and his touch was gentle as he eased her to her feet. Her masters were upon her in an instant, red-faced and enraged, but Tesoro quickly shoved her behind his towering, engoldened frame to shield her from their ire. "I'll buy her from you." Carina's eyes went as wide as china plates as he so easily announced it. Her heart began to drum in her chest. Was she only going to be passed from one slaveowner to another? "I'll buy her freedom." _Freedom. _The word danced like dissolving sugar on her tongue; how long had it been since its taste had graced her senses? She looked up at her savior with wide, grateful eyes, entranced by him and his generosity.

It had taken quite a while to calm the crowd, who wanted Carina punished severely for her transgression, but after enough money and sweet words had been thrown around, they were satiated and Carina was free- both from their ire and her chains. Tesoro ran a hand through his hair with a heavy sigh as if he had been the one unburdened.

"Why did you do it?" There was no way that someone could be so generous; he had money to throw around, for sure, but there had to be some benefit for him. His eyes flickered down to meet hers and he lifted his hand; so used to a slap being the following action, she flinched and squeezed her eyes shut. Instead of the burning blooming in her cheek, she felt his fingers gently tousling her wavy lavender hair. She cracked an eye open to look at him curiously.

"You remind me of someone I used to know." The sadness in his eyes struck Carina's heart like an arrow, and never left. Even to this day, knowing the monster he was, she knew he had become so because he was burdened with unimaginable pain.

From that point forward, Carina became employed by Tesoro. It wasn't long that she learned the truth of the magnificent, splendorous, tragedy of a ship and began to concoct her scheme to profit off of him and skip out. The Straw Hats had provided a stupendous opportunity for that, and she had gotten to see Nami again, too, and make amends for what she had done to her then. Carina had come onto that ship dirtied by the harshness of fate and her own actions, and she had come away clean, whitened by the promise of a new future.

Thus, Carina's thieving days were done. She was content to lie in her hammock under the burning sun for the rest of her days in comfort and security.

Carina glanced down at the crystalline white sand as her Den Den Mushi began to ring, and she set the drink down to pick up the receiver. Nami's cheerful voice rang on the other line.

"Hey, Carina!"

"Hello, Nami," she smiled as she settled herself comfortably in the hammock. "So, tell me about your newest adventure."

"You won't believe the stupid thing Luffy did-"

Though Carina definitely loved her island home and peaceful life, her adventurous spirit definitely wasn't dead. A girl had to have some way to entertain herself, after all!


	33. Needed

Category: Mild Romantic Fluff

Characters: Monkey D. Luffy and Baby 5

Requested By: Awareness Bringer (FanFiction)

Baby 5's wavy black hair whipped at her face as she plummeted face-up from the vibrant blue sky. She could vaguely hear Caesar screaming bloody murder as he fell a few feet below her, but it was hard to feel anything over the tremendous roar of the wind in her ears. Buffalo's retreating form was now a black speck against the tapestry of the sky. She wanted to resent him for abandoning her at the hand of the Straw Hat Pirates and the Marines, but he had apologized right before dropping Caesar and herself, insisting that Doflamingo would pay them back in due time… The tears that flooded her eyes were whisked away by the wind in the form of little pearly droplets. She knew that Doflamingo wouldn't do much of anything about it, likely, and that her fate would go unavenged. Still, at least she had been _useful_…

Baby prepared for harsh contact, either with the deck of the Straw Hat ship, or, most likely, the unforgiving ocean, which would swallow her up and deliver her to a watery grave. The Straw Hats and Law only wanted Caesar, after all.

That's what she had thought, anyway.

She gasped in shock as a slim, rubbery arm wound several times around her slender waist. All the breath was then forced from her body as she was yanked sideways, pulled up against Monkey D. Luffy's side as he hung from the top of the mast.

"Phew! Gotcha! That woulda been a pretty tough landing, _shishishishi_!" he sniggered nonchalantly. Baby 5 blushed and pressed her hands against her short skirt to keep the crewmen below from having a good look at her concealed modesty. She could see Caesar, sniveling pitifully, and being manhandled by a green-haired swordsman.

"Let me go!" she snapped up at the straw hat-bearing captain. He snorted in derision and shimmied down the mast to deposit her safely on the deck of the ship. Her eyes quickly swept across the people populating the vessel, wondering if she could potentially battle her way out of the situation. Once her eyes met Law's ferocious, feral gaze, all thoughts of bravado were immediately quashed. She quivered as he stared at her measuredly.

"What're you gonna do with her?" the orange-haired girl asked the Heart Pirate curiously. Law twirled his Nodachi in his hand to rest it on his shoulder, that same intense stare permeating Baby's every fiber and keeping her locked to the spot.

"I have no use for her. I could pull off her head and send it to Doflamingo as a present." Baby 5 gulped and wrapped her hands around her throat as if it would guard her from Law's devilish vivisection. She knew that it would not kill her, but the idea of being a disembodied head and therefore unable to defend herself against Doflamingo's wrath frightened her. For a moment, Baby entertained the idea of begging for her life. She had too much dignity for that. Her hand twitched, and it began to distort as she imagined an easy way out… If she just shot herself, she could avoid any of the unpleasant tricks Law would think up for her…

"Torao! No _way_!" Luffy interjected hotly. Baby 5's eyes widened as he stepped in front of her, a defensive arm across her chest.

"Why do you care?"

"My ship, my prisoner!" he insisted. Baby looked down slightly at his broad back, only a few inches from her. She could so very easily turn her hand into a blade and plunge it into his heart, but for some reason, she could not bring herself to do so. He had defended her, even though she was his enemy in all meanings of the word. Her bottom lip wobbled slightly as Law's hawkish eyes darkened in defiance. Feeble hands shakily rose to curl into the red fabric of Straw Hat Luffy's vest, curling into the cloth to ground herself and silently plead. She could be useful as a prisoner. As long as she was needed and valuable, she really didn't care about where she was or who she was with… For a moment, Law looked like he was going to argue; however, after a second, he gruffly exhaled and whirled around to stomp off.

"Fine. Whatever."

"_Shishishishi_!" Luffy snickered as if he had won a game rather than an argument. Baby's hands were retracted from his shirt as he spun around to face her, one large hand pinning his straw hat to his head. She just gawked up at him, still pale and sweaty from terror, as he beamed brightly down at her. "Yep, yep! You're my prisoner now, got it? What's your name?"

"B-baby 5."

"That'sa weird name. I'm Monkey D. Luffy, and I'm gonna be King of the Pirates- oh, and kick Doflamingo's ass, because Law wants me to." Baby's eyes went as wide as dinner saucers.

"What?! You can't! Nobody can beat him!" She should know better than anyone; she had been trying to kill him for a long time for mercilessly slaying her previous fiancés. Luffy puffed out his cheeks in a sour pout.

"Well, I'm _gonna_!" he insisted with a stamp of his foot. Baby considered arguing with him, but just from their limited interaction, she could already tell that he was denser than a freshly-molded brick of iron. She just exhaled deeply and shook her head, but then was reminded of her present predicament. Blushing as she turned her head to the side, her pride bruised, she offered up her wrists to him.

"Whatever… Just throw me in cuffs and get it over with, will you?" She was relieved that Law would have no hand in what happened to her, but though Luffy had stepped in to spare her that torture, she had no idea what his mischievous little mind would think up to keep her subdued. She kept her eyes trained on the deck of the ship as she awaited the clap of irons. Several seconds passed. She grew impatient and looked at him expectantly to find him staring stupidly at her hands.

"I ain't gonna cuff you. I'm not the Marines, y'know."

"But I'm your prisoner."

"Yeah, and?" he shrugged while digging in his nose in disinterest. "I don't care what you do as long as you don't piss me off or wreck my ship. Just make yourself useful or somethin'." At the mention of the word "useful," Baby's heart slammed against her ribcage, and her eyes lit up. She was immediately rendered docile.

"Of course!" she squealed with her eyes sparkling. "I will be useful! Don't worry!" As she ran away, she held a hand over her heart that was so frantically beating; it was an emotion she had felt so many times, the grand bliss of being able to please someone, mingled with the rosy tinges of the onset of love. _I will be the very best prisoner for Luffy~_

Luffy was left there puzzled as she dashed off to find something to do.

* * *

The course to Dressrosa from Punk Hazard was a long one, and so Baby had plenty of time to get acquainted with the Straw Hats. She made good on her promise to make herself useful, fluttering about like a nervous bee asking the crew for odd jobs that she could handle. At first, they were a little perplexed, but once Baby mentioned that it was at Luffy's bidding, they shrugged and complied; it seemed they were used to his oddities and were more content with conforming than arguing. Even on the first day, Baby 5 was amazed by the diversity of the crew and soon began to find that she actually enjoyed being around them.

Though she did a lot of things, Baby found jobs that she particularly enjoyed. The ship always needed some sort of odd repair due to Luffy's boisterous exploits, and so she often assisted Franky and Usopp in their work. She found the pair of them to be a rather comical bunch. Usopp told her outlandish stories that were so obviously not true, but she enjoyed them nonetheless, and Franky was just so loud and bizarre that his enthusiasm was infectious. While they toiled away with hammers, she would fetch nails and boards for them while they worked together to construct the most ridiculous story they could between the two of them. They always asked Baby for opinions on the details, and she always replied that they were brilliant.

Baby 5 had never really had any women to spend time with, and had never really known that she craved female companionship until she had begun associating with Nami and Robin. She would help Nami prune her tangerine trees or help Robin with her research, and she found herself in awe of them. Both of them were so passionate about their craft. Baby didn't really have anything to be excited about except for her need to serve others, so she found that commendable. They told her lots of things about their work, and she absorbed all of it, noticing how happy it made them to talk about it.

Sanji always needed help in the kitchen to satiate the crew's hunger. He was a flirty guy; if her heart had not been committed to pleasing Luffy, she would have quickly fallen to his advances. He was never forceful, though; he always respected her personal space and never advanced on her wrongfully, only threw pretty words and gifts her way. Baby had only ever been mediocre at cooking, and when she expressed interest in learning so that she could help him better, he was overjoyed at the prospect. Sanji was easily the most brilliant cook that she had ever met. When she messed up and started to cry, thinking that she was a failure, he would always grin and pat her on the head with reassuring words- and he ate her messed-up meals, no matter how disgusting they probably were.

Sometimes when the others didn't need her, she would wander into the bowels of the ship to find Brook the skeleton. Baby had no idea how a skeleton could be a pirate, but yet, there he was. Brook was a fabulous musician, and he often asked Baby to simply sit and listen to him perform, practicing a piece he wanted to show the crew later. She always would, enraptured, and give him a standing ovation when she finished. Then he would go "Yohohohohoho, can I see your panties?" which freaked her out and made her shoot at him. He always laughed it off because he was dead anyway.

Zoro never really asked much from her. All he did all day was sleep and train and drink; still, Baby wanted to make Luffy proud and equally serve his whole crew, so she always made sure to brink him more sake or a dry towel when he finished a workout. He wasn't a man of a lot of words and would only mutter gruff words of thanks, but one time he ruffled her hair affectionately with a smile. She thought about it for the rest of the day, so pleased with herself. After that, he always did the same thing, and Baby looked forward to it. Doflamingo had never really praised her like that.

The Straw Hats got into a lot of scuffles even when they weren't taking down Warlords or overthrowing corrupt regimes. The little reindeer Tony Tony Chopper could only handle so much and often asked Baby to help with wrapping bandages or other small things she could manage. She found the reindeer endearing and cute, and he was always so happy to tell her what he was doing and why. Once, the entire crew had gotten involved in running off some Marines. They had all been injured significantly, and Law (who she had mostly avoided) came in and spooked her.

To her shock, though, he didn't really show any animosity. He walked over to her, where she was winding bandages around the muscle of Luffy's arm, and inspected her work. She had almost teared up then, expecting rebuke; instead, he had muttered something along the lines of "good job" before walking away like he had said nothing at all. Baby even began to see Law in a new light after that. So, when she heard Law and Chopper studying medicine together, she had crept in and timidly asked if they would both teach her what they knew. They both complied. She made a point to be softer to him after that.

Baby's most favorite job by far, though, was for Luffy. Luffy only ever asked one thing of her: to let him lay his head on his lap and let him sleep. Baby was more than willing to comply. Sanji would always yell at him, calling him indecent, but Baby would practically glimmer with joy as he flopped down anyway and went right to sleep. She didn't even mind when her legs went numb, so numb they hurt, because she was useful.

Even more than that, all the Straw Hats were appreciative of her usefulness, which was something she had never, ever received before. It was so tiring, though, to run around all day; she practically collapsed in her bed right after dinner, her feet aching and body throbbing with exhaustion, but she always had a smile on her face… because she was _needed_.

* * *

Baby spent several weeks in that routine. One time, as Luffy flopped down to lay on her lap (she had discovered that he liked to snooze during a particular time of day, and so she always made sure to be waiting in his favorite nap spot), she was surprised to find that the entire crew convened there as if it were planned. Even Law was hanging in the background, pretending to be disinterested.

"Luffy! Don't go to sleep," Nami huffed and pointed an accusing finger at him. "We need to talk."

"'Bout what? Can it wait? I'm sleepy," he muttered and picked his nose while looking at her.

"About you _using_ Baby!" Baby 5's eyes widened slightly at the accusation.

"She's right, Luffy," Robin told him measuredly as he began to point. "Baby has been here for some time now, and we don't think it's fair that she's being used in such a way. It's time that we put an end to it."

"Ah, no, no, you all misunderstand!" Baby laughed lightly and waved her hands dismissively. "I enjoy it! Really, I do!"

"Baby, you don't have to lie," Sanji frowned at her. Something about the deep concern in his gaze made the rebuttal choke in her throat. "We're not stupid. By the end of the day, you're dragging on your feet. Have you looked at yourself lately?" Baby blinked in response. Now that she thought about it, she had been achy and fatigued for a while now. She raised a hand to her face to find bags under her eyes that she was pretty sure weren't there before, and when Baby ran a hand through her hair, it was not as silky as she remembered it being. But still, why was that a problem?

"I don't understand. That just means I'm being useful to you all, right? It's a good thing that I'm working so hard!"

"Baby." She tensed as Luffy's voice sliced through her like a blade. She glanced down at her lap to see him gazing intently up at her. Something intense was in his eyes that both excited and unnerved her. "… You guys, buzz off. I get it, so let me talk to Baby alone, will ya?"

The Straw Hats and Law all obeyed, leaving Baby and Luffy alone on the deck of the ship. Baby blinked as he sat himself up with a huff, spinning around to face her with his legs crossed. Stunned by the sudden development, she just sat there still on her knees, blinking rapidly at his blank yet oddly intense expression.

"Have I done something wrong?" she immediately panicked. Her face flushed with the fear that Luffy no longer wanted her aboard and would send her back to Doflamingo. "Please-"

"Stop. I'm the one who's done something wrong." Her cries halted in her throat, and she looked at him incredulously. Embarrassed, he puffed out his cheeks and looked through the bottom corners of his eyes at the deck of the ship. "They're right, you know. I shouldn't allow you to work yourself to death."

"But I'm your prisoner. Why does it matter?"

"Nuh-uh! You're my _nakama _now, Baby 5, and a good captain doesn't let their _nakama _do stuff like this!" he huffed. His black eyes flickered back to her, burning with a raging fire that made her heat up inside. _Nakama…? _Baby had never been referred to as such before. Her eyes began to sparkle as an intense joy welled up within her. She was needed, but in a way much better than she had imagined; she was needed to simply _exist_, and that was enough. There were no strings attached. She felt something wet roll down her cheeks, and she lifted her hands to her face with a pathetic sniffle. "Baby? Did I make you sad?" Luffy asked worriedly, his face leaning forward some to peer into her watery eyes.

"N-no! I… I'm just so happy…" she whispered with a light laugh. "I just… All my life, I've just wanted to be _wanted_, and now I finally feel that way…"

"Oh." He blinked. He didn't pull away, just sat there while she softly cried. She found that somewhat unnerving yet comforting. She wiped at her cheeks with the backs of her hands. She was not catching the sheer amount of them that was spilling from her eyes. Suddenly, Luffy reached up to swipe his thumb across one of her cheeks. She froze. His touch was incredibly soft and gentle.

"L-Luffy…"

"Ta be honest, I kinda caught on to what the crew was talking about pretty early…"

"Why didn't you bring it up sooner, then?"

"Well, you just looked so happy, Baby. If I told you to stop, then I thought you would be unhappy, and I didn't want that." Baby's breath hitched as her heart slammed up into her throat, swelled with more love than she ever thought possible. It was different than the love she had felt before, for those eight previous men- truer, more genuine, more blissful. Something about the way Luffy was looking at her right now just made her feel so cherished that she couldn't stand it. All she ever wanted was someone else's happiness, but to have her joy considered special? It was almost more than she could bear.

"Oh, Luffy!" she cried and flung at him. He let out a muffled squeak of shock as she threw her arms around him and pressed her lips against his in a kiss. It was a hard kiss, but nothing too dramatic, only their lips smashed together. Luffy's hair groped at the air for a moment, unsure what to do, before they settled themselves in her tresses of black hair. Baby was going to pull back, but suddenly she found Luffy's lips pushing back on hers, and her mild melted into a state of euphoria, which prevented her from thinking or acting at all. They remained there for a few moments, softly kissing each other, before she finally pulled back and looked into his eyes through thick, teary lashes.

"Well, that was something. I've never kissed a girl before."

Baby flung back in a dramatic gasp, heart thumping. _I'm Luffy's first kiss! Oh, I have to do something! I have to be good, so he doesn't fall out of love with me! _

"Ah! What do you want me to do, Luffy? Do you want to nap on my lap? Or do you want me to cook you something, or-" he cut her off by covering her mouth with his hand. She blinked a few times, confused, then nodded to show she would comply with his desire for her to be silent. He dropped his hand, and it fell onto hers, entwining their fingers.

"Nah. Wouldja just sit in my spot with me and look at the ocean?"

If Baby wasn't in love before, she was in love then, as she sat on the figurehead of the _Thousand Sunny _with Luffy's arms around her waist and his chin propped on her shoulders. The salty spray playfully nipped at her bare legs as she gently swayed them back and forth.

_Doflamingo… I might be a traitor, and I know I'm going to pay for it somehow. But I don't care. I thought, for the longest time, that with you was where I was meant to be, that I existed to serve your needs… But that isn't true. __**This**__ is where I was meant to be, right here with my nakama, who love me for me and nothing else. _


	34. I'll Be Your Dawn

Category: Romantic Fluff

Characters: Sabo and Koala

Requested by: GoddessOfVictory (FanFiction)

Normally when there is a contest between one's fist and a wall, it is pretty much determined who the victor will be. However, the concrete structure stood no chance against Sabo's literally blazing fist as they collided; without any resistance whatsoever, the bricks succumbed to his rage and exploded upon impact, coating Sabo's flickering fist with a drought of cool air. As he dimmed his flames, the glimmering white fire of the stars replaced them. The nighttime breeze, though it carried the chill of winter, did nothing to cool Sabo's intense anger. He could hear Dragon chastising him for punching a hole in the wall behind him, but he wasn't listening. His mind was bent on one thing, and one thing only.

_Koala. _

He had warned her. He had told her that it was dangerous to go alone, and that he could come with her. She had just smiled that sweet smile of hers that made Sabo's heart melt and insisted that she could take care of herself. He knew she was strong; that was one of the many things he loved about Koala, was her unflinching strength. He had conceded, he had watched her leave, even though he was dying to be at her side- and now, he had just been forced to hear that Koala had been captured by the Marines.

So, what was he going to do? Rescue her, of course.

"Sabo! Even you can't just barge in and take down an entire military base by yourself!" Dragon was hollering after him as he stomped deliberately down the steps, heading out of their base to their docked ships. "Think about this for a second! It's obviously a trap to lure us out! Goddammit, are you _listening_ to me?"

"Yes, I'm listening. I'm just not obeying," he retorted smoothly. His boots made frantic clacking noises as he strode quickly across the wooden docks towards his chosen vessel. It was one of the fastest in their little fleet of rebel ships, but still manageable for him to sail alone. Dragon stalked behind him as Sabo vaulted over the side of the boat and began preparing to set sail. The sun was just beginning to peek over the horizon, its shimmering rays catching on his golden hair, setting it afire like a beacon. Dragon stopped beside the boat and cross his thick arms, eyes narrowed angrily.

"There is no stopping you, is there?"

"Absolutely not," Sabo answered as he pulled the rope leaving his boat secured to the docks. He threw Dragon a cheeky grin. "Don't worry. I'll be back in a few days with Koala, just you watch! I might even be able to snag some useful intel, too." That part was just to bait Dragon further; there was no way that he was going to take his time sneaking around the Marine base for such trifles. They would be lucky if the Marine base was still standing by the time he was finished with it. He knew Dragon knew this, because his expression had not melted in the slightest. Sabo was beginning to wonder if he would have to scrap it out with the rebel leader until he suddenly exhaled deeply, his tattooed face dissolving into an expression of tired amusement.

"I had better not read in the news that you've been captured too," he warned. His cloak flapped wildly like a horde of flapping bats as he whirled on his heel to return to the base. Sabo smirked and set to releasing the sails; they billowed down before swelling with the consistent breath of the wind, causing the small boat to surge forward into the sloshing ocean waves. Sabo hopped up the steps to the wheel. He pulled Koala's vivre card out of his pocket. His face found difficulty forming an expression as he found that it was slightly burning around the edges. _Hang on, Koala, _he thought, adjusting the course towards where the vivre card was indicating. _I'm coming for you!_

* * *

Koala's eyes fluttered open as she heard the grinding of the iron cell door. Still groggy from sleep, it took her a moment to register that the Marine that had entered her cell was speaking to her, and even then, she did not understand what had been said. In a sleepy whisper she murmured, "What?" The Marine did not repeat himself, but instead drove the point of his steel-toed point directly into her ribs. Koala could not swallow the pained scream that burst from inside her as fiery pain bloomed across her side. Her entire body quivered, rattling the chains that pinned her hands above her head.

_The __**chains**_. The still-lingering burning pain in her ribs became secondary to the cold flood of panic that rushed through her veins. Her body began to shake further, and her ears filled with the dreadful tinkling of the iron bindings so eerily like a death knell to her frantic brain. The cold snickers of the Marine and the slam of the food tray he had been delivering were barely audible over the godawful noise. Koala sucked in a shaky breath, staring unseeing at the cell door as it slammed shut and left her once more in painful solitude.

It felt like the handcuffs were biting into the flesh of her wrists, gnawing her down to the bone with relish. It had been a long, long time since Koala had felt their cold sting. She had thought, after all this time, that she was over it. Memories flashed before her blue eyes in a rapid motion-picture, detailing the horrors of her childhood; in all of them were the chains, the sensation of cold steel singing her wrists, rattling, rattling, rattling, _laughing… _

The distinct wetness rolling down her cheeks was enough sensation to finally draw her from her fit. As she licked her dry lips, she tasted the bitter salt from her tears and grimaced. She then closed her eyes, taking a moment to steady her breathing and calm herself down. _Now's not the time for that, Koala; you had the perfect opportunity to slip the keys from that jerk, and you've gone and wasted it. _With a heavy sigh, she opened her eyes, watching the last of her lingering tears drip down from her long lashes to plummet down and land amongst the food that was now splattered across her boots. She pursed her lips. _Dammit, and I just bought those… _

Koala lifted her head to the sole source of light in the dank, dark cell- the tiny barred window, where the moonlight was streaming in. Its pale white glow caught on the streams of condensation coating the sea-sprayed seastones that made up the Marine cell. Koala had no Devil Fruit abilities to speak of, but they had still placed her in the cell (and seastone chains) for extra precaution. Koala's eyes dimmed as they traced the glimmers of moonbeams slicing through the dark. It was a painfully familiar sight. It had been her only solace in the dark for such a long time, huddled in a hovel with the other slaves, a smile still plastered on her face for fear of being caught crying. Even alone, she could never waver, never express herself. Only fear. Only fake.

Koala bit down on her bottom lip to keep it from quivering. What was she, a damsel in distress? She glanced up at the chains and shook her hands to test the integrity. They were infuriatingly sound. Her blue eyes flickered to the cell door as an idea hatched in her mind. She then began insistently rattling the chains, filling the cell with the frantic high-pitched jingling. Though the screech made the breath hitch in her throat and her face pale, she forced back the memories called by their cry, continuously banging the chains until the Marine finally stomped back into view. He pulled out the keys, jammed them into the lock, and turned them before flinging the now unlocked cell door aside.

"What the hell is your problem?" he shouted at her over her incessant rattling of the chains. Koala painted the best distressed damsel expression she could on her face.

"Please. These chains are hurting me. Can't you loosen them a little?" she begged. Her bottom lip shone in the moonlight as she poked it out at him, and she angled her body a little to accentuate her curves. Though playing the part irritated her, Koala still knew how to use her gifts to her advantage.

He wasn't buying it.

"I'm not stupid. I know what you're doing." She clicked her tongue and immediately dropped the façade once it was evident that it was useless.

"Okay, well, how am I supposed to eat chained up like this?" She immediately regretted asking the question, as a wicked sneer morphed his visage into a dark painting. She watched him guardedly as he bent down to pick up the tray, then plucked a crumb of bread from its disordered collection of food morsels.

"Well, if you ask nicely, sweetheart, I'll feed you." Koala's rage must've shown on her face because he began howling with laughter. "You don't do nice well, do ya?" Koala's gaze shifted to the corners of her eyes. The moonlight had been replaced with the burning umber of orange glow, flickering low under the blanket of dark. _It must be dawn. _Koala knew that the Marines had meant to begin her transport to Impel Down upon first light, meaning she had little time to waste before she had an entire Marine base to contend with. She tensed as he tapped the bread against her cheek, sprinkling her shoulder with the light crumbs. "Eh? So do you want it or not?"

"Eat this, you jerk!" Koala snarled as she threw up her leg in a high kick. Her foot collided with the bottom of the tray, which in turn slammed up into the Marine's unprepared face. As his hands flew up on reflex, Koala kicked the keys off of his belt then slammed her foot into his abdomen, sending him flying out into the hall. He slammed into the iron of the opposite cell, then slumped down, unconscious. The keys flew up high into the air, catching the burning orange glow of the rising sun, before landing in her waiting hands. With a bit of quick fidgeting, she was able to turn them about and jam them into the lock of her cuffs. It was a welcome relief as the heavy bindings relished their toothed grip on her wrists and fell to the ground with heavy thuds; she pulled her hands down to instinctively rub her wrists, the ghosts of raw skin burning her though there were no obvious wounds.

Koala ran to the window, hoping to catch a glimpse of the courtyard to gauge her chances of sneaking out. As he peered through the iron bars, her eyebrows slowly crept up her forehead toward the roots of her hair.

It was not dawn, but still deep in the night. The blazing orange glow had not been cast by the rising sun, but by an intense raging fire that was sweeping across the military base- and fire meant only one thing.

"_Sabo_," she breathed.

Part of Koala wanted to be angry. She had told him that she would be fine, and even if she had been captured, she could still escape just fine. However, this part of her was tied up and shoved into a closet by the rest of her that was completely overwhelmed with joy at the simple fact that Sabo had traversed the sea to come rescue her. As she smiled gently, holding her clasped hands in front of her fluttering heart, she took a precious moment to savor that joy, that love she felt for that man.

It only took that precious moment for the Marine to rouse himself.

"You bitch! I'm gonna kill you for that!" Koala whipped around with a gasp as she heard his angry snarl, and found him stumbling to his feet brandishing a saber. Koala hardened her expression and fell into her Fishman Karate stance, fully prepared to beat him down a second time, but it was not necessary. She cocked an eyebrow as a black booted foot collided with the side of the Marine's head, actually generating what looked like a small sonic boom against his skull before he was flung like a rag doll down the hall. Koala heard a distance crash followed by the crumbling of stone. _He won't be getting up a second time. _Koala relaxed, no longer needing to fight now that her back-up had arrived.

"You always steal all my fun," she pouted dourly to Sabo as he stepped fully into the frame of view. Standing in the ajar door brushing dirt off his cloak, he gave her an equally sour expression before straightening up.

"There will be plenty of fun to be had getting back to the ship."

"Yeah, because you had to go and cause a scene. Haven't you ever heard of _stealth_?" she countered as she jutted out her hip and put a hand on it. His mouth twitched upwards into a smirk before he crossed the room to stand in front of her.

"That's no way to thank your knight in shining armor, now is it?"

"Pfft. Like I needed one. I was doing just fine by myself, y'know," she snorted while crossing her arms. His smirked widened, but disappeared when he glanced down. Koala raised her eyebrows, confused at his sudden drop of the friendly banter, then blushed lightly as he gently picked up her arm with his gloved hand. "Hey-"

"They had you in chains?" he whispered. Koala looked at her wrist in shock; she hadn't noticed it before, but there was an area of redness and raw skin where the cuff had strained after all. The softness in his voice sliced through Koala like a blade; Sabo knew her past and how much being chained would affect her. She felt the waves of fear and sorrow she had been damming back begin to strain against the constructed wall in her mind, pushing through the gaps to begin leaking into her system. Her hand quivered slightly in his touch as he gently swiped his thumb over the scratched skin.

"It's fine. I can handle it." Her voice sounded a lot meeker than she wanted it to. He stared thoughtfully at the slight wound for a second, and then, to her complete astonishment, he brought it to his mouth to gently kiss it. Koala's brain short-circuited like a drayed wire, but her body responded appropriately by blazing a dawn-colored blush across her cheeks. "Wh-what?"

"To help it heal, y'know?" He had that stupid grin on his face. Once Koala processed the statement, she snorted and jerked her hand away.

"Stupid! Now isn't the time for that! What's gotten into you?"

"Come on, Koala, it was just a bit! A knight giving his injured princess a kiss," he pouted while slumping over in defeat. This gave Koala the perfect angle to deliver a chop to the back of his neck. He whined loudly in pain as he squatted down, holding his tender cervical spine.

"I'm not a princess! I am perfectly capable of protecting myself."

"I never said you couldn't!" he snapped while tossing a glare up at her. He sniffed, tears brimming in the corners of his eyes from the stinging pain Koala had instilled in him, before that dumb grin spread across his face again. Koala opened her mouth to instantly demand what no good he was up to, but had not the chance to. The words were replaced by a startled shout as he shouldered into her legs, disbalancing her. She draped across his broad shoulder as he rose to carry her fireman-style, one arm wrapped around her waist to hold her in place while he whirled on his heel. Koala sputtered as his cloak flapped in her face.

"Hey! What the hell are you doing?" she shouted while beating into his back. Though he laughed, she could feel the strain in his voice as Koala's fists likely pummeled bruises into his back.

"Um, running, obviously? Just watch my back for me~" her told her gleefully before he pranced off into the hall with her in tow. Koala rolled her eyes and just resigned herself to be carted out of the Marine base like a sack of potatoes. She had not noticed, but she was actually quite tired; now that she was off them, her feet were aching, and her entire body was throbbing with the tune of her heartbeat. She had taken a pretty savage beating from the Marines. She held up her arms to see bruises dotting the skin, and there were doubtless more hidden beneath her clothes. She smiled softly. Sabo must've noticed, which was why he had pulled such a stunt. _Thinks he's slick… _

They were able to reach the port and escape on Sabo's boat relatively easily, because the Marine base was in such chaos attempting to put out the blaze that he had set. Koala did not relax until the base was just a ball of burning fire against the horizon. She smiled wryly.

"It really does look like the dawn."

"Huh?" Koala looked at Sabo, having not realized she had spoken aloud. He was looking at her quizzically from his spot at the helm. She pulled her knees up to her chest as she sat in the middle of the deck of the small ship, turning back to stare at the blazing beacon that was shrinking by the minute.

"I thought the sun had been rising at first, when you came," she explained as she rested her chin on her knees. Sabo did not respond. She raised her arm to look at the glaring bite mark on her wrist from the vile chains, and swallowed the nausea that began to churn in her belly. Even though she was no longer bound by them physically, the mental chains would take a bit longer to fade. She heard Sabo's footsteps across the deck and thought little of it until she felt him plop down behind her, legs on either side of her hips. She gasped lightly as he pulled her back against his chest, then once again grabbed her arm to press a light kiss against the wound. She looked back over her shoulder at him quizzically. She wasn't entirely weirded out; Sabo often did weird physical things like this, hugging her or laying his head on her shoulder or whatnot, but for him to be so borderline _romantic_ was unusual.

The smile he gave her was confident, serene, soft.

"I'll be the dawn anytime you need, Koala." Something about those words made her heart swell in her chest, with a lot of emotions: pain, happiness, trust, gratitude, unease. He still held her injured arm in his, while his other hand traced a line down her cheek. As the light fabric of his glove ghosted her skin, she shuddered slightly, as if anticipating something- but what, exactly? Koala didn't even feel the urge to snap back with some quip like usual… She wanted to give herself over to him, completely, wholly, utterly. She finally realized that he had never meant that she was incapable of protecting herself, but that despite that she was still such a treasure to him that he simply wanted to be there for her to rely on. Koala's eyelashes fluttered as such immense emotion washed over her that a tear slipped from her eye and ran down her cheek.

"Forever?" The word came out of her mouth without her realizing it, the spirit of a whisper that was whisked away by the salty breeze of the sea. Sabo tilted his head with a widening smile as he once again drew his finger across her cheek to catch the singular tear.

"Forever," he confirmed with a small nod. Behind her, the true dawn was beginning; the sun's golden rays reached out to find substance, and landed on Sabo's golden streams of blonde hair peeking out from beneath his hat. Suddenly compelled to see its brilliance, Koala gently pulled Sabo's hat off his head. He made no move to resist. As she did so, the wavy strands eagerly absorbed the sunlight spilling over them to burst into a brilliant radiance that rivaled the dawn itself. Koala's fingers thumbed through them, feeling as if she were sliding through golden silk, before her hair drifted down to the back of his neck to play with the curled ends. Her blue eyes flickered down from his radiant hair to his eyes, which had been locked on her the entire time.

"Then be my dawn." To the oblivious bystander, those words might not have meant anything; however, Sabo understood the unspoken message carried within them. He chuckled gently before his hand angled Koala's face over her shoulder while his other held her body against his, her back to his chest. She could feel his heart pounding in tune with her own as his face fell over hers to deliver a soft, tender kiss to her lips.

Bathed in the light of two dawns, Koala knew the shadows would never chain her again.


	35. Look at All Those Choppers! Part II

Category: Friendship Fluff

Characters: Tony Tony Chopper

Requested by: Anonymous User

About one week after the infamous clone carp incident, Chopper was once again perched on his little barrel with the tiny fishing rod in his hands, humming the latest of Brook's tunes as he carefully watched the bobber drift up and down in the gently sloshing waves. This time his regular fishing partner Usopp was also in attendance, sitting on the railing of the ship with one leg hanging lazily over the side, so Chopper didn't need to bother anyone else with having to supervise him. They were still moseying about in the same stretch of sea that the clone carp populated (according to Robin's investigation) and so they had memorized a photograph of the silvery fish to ensure that a harrowing incident such as Chopper's cloning did not happen again. _No more clone carp sushi, nuh-uh, no way! _He thought with a small chortle to himself.

"It's such a shame, though," Usopp sighed aloud suddenly, causing Chopper to look at him quizzically. The sniper gave the reindeer a contemplative look. "Just think how useful it would be to have more than one Zoro or Luffy, or even an army of you, Chopper!" The Zoan doctor was caught between being amazed that Usopp had read his mind and upset that Usopp had implied that an army of him equated to only two of the more beastly members of the Straw Hats. "I just wish we would've had more time to study it to see if we could use it," he sighed while tugging on his pole to entice something from the deep.

"Luffy would eat it before we even had a chance to do anything with it, and that would be much worse than an army of Choppers," Nami snorted as she walked by with a basket of aromatic, fresh tangerines; she knocked Usopp upside the head as she did, knocking him off balance and nearly sending him overboard.

"Watch it, Nami! You're lucky I don't have a Devil Fruit or I woulda drowned! _Drowned_, ya hear me?" Usopp shouted after her while shaking his fist. She just ignored him. "It doesn't matter much, anyway," he shrugged once her returned his attention to Chopper. "The odds of us catching another one of those clone carps is one in a million, probably."

"Yep. It's a clone carp," Robin confirmed as she looked from her encyclopedia of local fish species to the suffocating silver fish that was lying in a puddle of seawater on the deck. Usopp was crouched down next to it, jaw against the wooden deck with a disbelieving, drawn out "_Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat_?" stuck in his throat. Chopper grabbed his horns and rapidly shook his head from side to side in dismay.

"We have to throw it overboard before Luffy eats it! We stopped in port and stocked up on apples just to be safe, but we all know he won't eat it!"

"Shhhh!" Usopp hissed and slapped his hand against Chopper's furry mouth with a shift gaze toward the front of the ship. Chopper had reeled in the fish without much fuss, so Luffy had not had the care to abandon his perch on the lion figurehead. Even now, he was still blissfully unaware of the discovery and was leaning into the wind with his tongue hanging out like some kind of slobbery hound. Chopper scrunched up his face in disgust when he saw blobs of spittle being carried away by the brisk breeze. "This is what I was talking about, Chopper! You're a doctor. You can study the cells and see if we can make them into some sort of weapon or tool!"

"I don't know, Usopp… I feel kinda bad… I mean, for their part, those clones had feelings too… I would hate to just create and destroy them at will," he murmured as he looked at his shiny reindeer hooves. Although at first he had been overjoyed that his crew cherished him and him only, but after he had really gotten to thinking about it, it wasn't fair to the clones to disregard their feelings and experiences, even if they were limited. Had they really been identical to Chopper after all, or was it only at the cellular level? What about their _souls_? "It doesn't feel right…"

"Well, Chopper, maybe by studying the interaction between the clone carp cells and the cyanide antidote, you can find a way to halt the cloning process without reverting the clones back to fish," Robin pointed out reassuringly. At such a suggestion, Chopper rubbed his chin thoughtfully while staring at the fish, whose eyes had glassed over and was presumably deceased.

"Hmm… That doesn't sound so bad!" With a contented hum, he flung the fish over his wee shoulder; because it was nearly as large as himself, it disbalanced him a bit and he had to wobble back and forth to get his bearing. After he finally righted himself, he exhaled confidently and gave Robin a toothy grin. "Robin, I'm sure you have books that'll be helpful; can I borrow them?" The dark-haired woman smiled sweetly and used her Devil Fruit powers to bring down helpful tomes from her voluminous collection, piling them into her arms.

"Shall we, Chopper?" came her wine-smooth voice. Chopper nodded eagerly and whirled on his hoof to totter off to his private study, with Robin walking languidly alongside him. She graciously opened the door for him and allowed him to enter before walking in after him. Chopper tossed the fish onto his work desk before clambering up into his spinning doctor's chair, rotating it before standing up in it to get a good look at his project. He prodded it a few times to make sure it was really dead, as he didn't want to needlessly make the fish suffer through the dissection process, before he retrieved his sharp tools from one of the shells.

"Okay! Let's begin, Robin!"

* * *

Chopper, with the aid from Robin, had been conducting his experimental medicinal research in secret for about one week with no progress. He had been sneaking ice from the freezer in Sanji's kitchen to keep the fileted fish meat on ice in his room until he had made enough cell plates to last him through his research. Once he had the brain cells cultured so that they could continue giving instructions to the body cells, he had set to his research. He had figured out how to get the clone carp cells to convert to his own cells by using some cheek swabs, but he hadn't figured out how to negate the clone toxin without killing the parent cells and making the other cells turn back to clone carp cells. With an agonized, frustrated groan, he slammed his forehead down against the desk, making all his tools and cell cultures and sample jump up from the force. "This is hopeless! I'm not getting anywhere, Robin! No matter how diluted we make it, the cyanide solution just keeps reverting the cells!" he wailed in distress. He looked up at her with tear-filled eyes, disappointed in himself.

"There's no need to fret, Chopper. Science isn't an easy process. None of the greatest scientific achievements have happened overnight!" she responded encouragingly from her seat on the bed. She had several of Chopper's medical textbooks spread out around her, and had been scanning the passages for useful biochemical or cellular physiology information that may have been relevant. His bottom lip stuck out in a pathetic pout. He was less than reassured. He slunk down from his office chair to scamper across the room and climb into Robin's lap and hug her midriff sadly. She laughed lightly as he buried her face into her belly, and she wrapped her arms around him in a motherly embrace.

"I'm a failure as a doctor."

"No, you aren't, Chopper. We all think you're a fabulous doctor. Think of how many times you've saved us from our wounds! The Straw Hats couldn't ask for a better doctor."

"Ah, shut up, you bastard~!" he giggled as her kind words finally seeped through his depressive aura to send a fluttery, blissful butterfly of joy flapping around in his little heart. He looked up at her with a grateful grin which she returned with a soft smile. He spun around to sit in her lap, feeling quite contented perched on her pillow-soft thighs, and picked up one of his toxicology textbooks to begin flipping through the pages. He then screamed and brought it close to his face, as if the passage that had caught his attention would be more significant if it were literally right in front of his eyes.

"What is it, Chopper?"

"How could I miss this? Of course! We shouldn't have been diluting the cyanide! We should've been converting it into a related but less toxic substance! Sulfanegen sodium; do I have any sulfanegen sodium?!" he screamed as he dropped the book and jumped off of Robin's lap. With how fast his little hooves were whirling, he probably ran on the air across the room to frantically clamber onto his desk and begin rifling through the various bottles shelved in his desk. Cyanide poisoning wasn't exactly something that pirates had to worry about, as it was mostly used in assassinations performed by elite bounty hunters (and the Navy, probably) but Chopper kept a stock of random antidotes to all kinds of things just in case. It had been a habit after his beloved mentor had perished thanks to his ignorant gift of a poisonous mushroom. Chopper knew much better now, but in the back of his mind he was always afraid that one of his beloved crew mates would suffer some kind of intoxication and he wouldn't have the antidote for it.

He squealed in glee when he found the labelled bottle reading "Sulfanegen Sodium." As he sat down on the desk, not even bothering to use the chair, Robin crossed the room to lean over and watch his experiment, hands on her knees. He drew up a small amount of the liquid into the dropper before transferring the little droplet to his current diluted cyanide solution, mixing the two together. He then took one of his cell plates and scooped up a bunch of them to re-plate them on a fresh media plate; they immediately adhered and began rapidly dividing, slowly spreading out in a circular fashion. Before they could fill the plate too quickly, he aliquoted a drop of his new solution and dropped it onto the cells. He awaited a reaction with bated breath. In all his trials previous, the parent cells would shudder and die, while the others changed color to a silvery hue which was indicative of their reversion to clone carp cells as a result of the toxin being negated by the small amount of cyanide from the crushed apple seed solution.

Instead of the aforementioned result, the cells quivered before their division slowly came to a stop and remained the salmon hue that was indicative of human (or in Chopper's case, human-reindeer) cells. Chopper crowed triumphantly and held the plate over his head as he did a happy jig. "Robin! I did it! I did it!"

"Yes, you did. I told you that you could do it!"

"Hey, what's with all the noise in here? You woke me up from my nap…" Came a sleepy third voice. Chopper turned around to see that Zoro had opened the door and was scratching his stomach while he stifled a yawn with the other hand.

"That's what you get for sleeping literally in front of his door," Nami chimed as she shoved him aside to poke her orange-haired head into the room. "What're you so excited for, Chopper?"

"Go on, Chopper. Why don't we tell the entire crew your monumental discovery?" Robin mused. Chopper nodded eagerly and hopped down from the desk to skip out of his study and out onto the main deck. It only took a short moment to assemble all the crew members, and soon they were all looking with expressions of confusion and interest at the little cell plate in his tiny hooves.

"Robin and I have been working with clone carp cells to see if we could find a way to stop their transformation without reverting them back to the fish!" he announced proudly. Sanji stopped his scientific revelation reveal with a startled gasp.

"Chopper, you _what_? But we agreed that the clone carp was bad news. We don't need two of Marimo or Captain Idiot!"

"Hey!" the two insulted parties chimed in irritated unison.

"Shut up; you know I'm right."

"Yeah…"

"I just felt bad about what we did to all my clones," Chopper admitted with a deep frown. He looked down at the plate of unassuming cells. "Sure, _I'm_ the real Chopper, but all the other Choppers still had feelings, too! It makes me feel sad that we just disregarded that…"

"Are we really debating the morals of getting rid of clones produced by a dumb fish?" Nami asked uncomfortably, but from the look on her face, the moral dilemma was affecting her too. A discontented murmur rippled around the group.

"But with this new solution I made, we can stop anyone who eats the fish from dividing indefinitely! The host cells live in the main host and the other cells that are the clones communicate by quorum sensing to conduct their cellular operations!"

"What the hell does that mean?" Luffy asked while picking his nose. The scientific jargon was rapidly making him lose interest.

"The cells talk to each other," Robin clarified.

"Whoa! That's so cool!"

"Yep! The cyanide in the apple seeds killed the parent cells, which are slightly different genetically from the clone cells. It's not actually reproducing by budding, me and Robin figured out, but a very complex process in-between asexual and sexual reproduction! The daughter cells are the ones that are direct clones and produce identical cells." By the blank stares, he could tell that he was losing his audience. "A-anyway, with this solution I made, the parent cells don't die, but the toxin is destroyed and the daughter cells get a signal to stop dividing so fast, but instead probably undergo the cell cycle at the same speed as our cells do instead! That means that the division stops but the clones don't turn back into fish and are free to live their lives!" he finished with a big grin.

"Wow, Chopper. You're brilliant!" Nami praised while patting him happily on the head.

"I understood none of that but it sounds important, but good job! That's my doctor! _Shishishishi_!" Luffy laughed with his arms crossed. The rest of the crew similarly showered him in proud, appreciative remarks and Sanji even graced him with a celebratory cookie. He munched on it elatedly, careful that the crumbs didn't fall into his cell plate, while answering questions about the process. Sanji had forgiven him for stealing the ice since it was such important research.

"So, are we gonna test it or what?" Usopp asked suddenly. Chopper swallowed his last bite of cookie before looking uncertainly at the plate. Sure, it worked in cell-level trials, but an organism was complicated. Would it really work?

"I wanna eat it! I wanna it eat!" Luffy cried and shot towards Chopper's room to abscond with his frozen fish samples, but thankfully Zoro and Sanji were able to muscle him back. All it took was Robin telling him that two of him couldn't be Pirate King for him to consent to never, ever eating the clone carp. "I ain't competin' with me…" he grumble with his arms crossed as he sat cross-legged on the deck.

"I think Chopper should have the clones," Nami suggested, which threw the little reindeer for a loop.

"Huh? Why me?"

"Because you're our most important member, duh!" the navigator beamed brightly down at him. If a reindeer could blush, he would be. "You're always running yourself ragged trying to heal everyone at once. How many times have you wished there were more than one of you? When they aren't doing doctor things, they can do other things you like to do too, like helping me water my tangerines."

"-and helping me and Franky repair the ship and build new things! We always love your help, Chopper!"

"Yeah! It's superrrrrrr!" Franky agreed with Usopp, striking his signature pose with a flashy smile.

"I always enjoy you helping in the kitchen, too," Sanji mused while taking a drag from his cigarette.

"And you always make a good audience for my performances! Yohohohoho!"

"Imagine how many fish tons of you could reel in!" Luffy hollered with his fists in the air. "Meat all around!"

As they listed off the so many helpful things that Chopper did on a day-to-day basis, he began to sniffle and cry, so overwhelmed by their appreciation of him.

"Y-you guys… I love you so much!" he wailed and jump forward to hug the nearest pair of legs to him, which happened to be Sanji. Even though he was staining the cook's black pants with tears, he didn't seem to mind, only leaned over to loving rub the top of his head through his hat. "But… But… With all those other me's… Will I still be useful?"

"Of course," Robin smiled gently at him. He rubbed his eyes while looking up at her. "Those other Choppers will be like your brothers. They might know the same things at first, but in time, they'll evolve their own personalities and skills- but you'll still be our ship's doctor, and they can never replace you in that." A fresh wave of tears flooded his eyes and he buried his furry face into Sanji's legs again.

"_Wahhhhhhh_! I love you all so _muuuuuuuch_!"

And so, that's the story of how the Straw Hat crew _sort of _got bigger. The Chopper clones were an existence only known to the Straw Hats, as they were never taken along in the fighting (to protect them, as it turns out they couldn't actually use Chopper's Zoan powers like he thought they would be able to) and lived in the bowels of the ship, all seven of them occupying a cozy little bedroom that Franky had added on. Like Robin had said, they soon developed their own interests, styles, and personalities. Timmy Timmy Chopper was even shyer than Chopper was but took a liking to Robin, and loved it when she told him bedtime stories. Tommy Tommy Chopper was rambunctious and adventurous like Luffy, and if they had no hint of danger on islands they stopped at, the captain would tote him along; if there was danger, they always made sure to bring him back little unique gifts. Terry Terry Chopper had a culinary talent and Sanji made him his apprentice. Tama Tama Chopper had a penchant for gardening and looked after Nami's tangerine trees whenever they were gone and even has a little garden of his own growing flowers which they sold in port for income. The two they liked to call "the twins" because they were so alike, Tippy Tippy Chopper and Tappy Tappy Chopper, were little shipwrights in their own right and loved to help Franky go to work on the Sunny's never-ending repairs and improvements or test out Usopp's newest inventions. Tappy Tappy was a little different from his twin in that he was musically inclined; he enjoyed learning about it from Brook. Finally, there was Tavi Tavi Chopper, who was rough and gruff and looked up to Zoro like an idol. More than anything, though, they loved their big brother Tony Tony Chopper and always made sure of one thing…

That they all went fishing together, because it was what bonded them as siblings. Sometimes, Chopper wouldn't even sleep in his own bed but would slip down to where his brothers slept, and they would abandon their bunks to all dog-pile in a pallet on the floor. Every day after that, he was so glad he pulled that clone carp out of the sea, because his family just got that much bigger.


	36. Back and Forth

Category: Romantic Fluff

Characters: Trafalgar Law, Nami

"All right! First thing's first- we have to find the nearest meat!" Luffy ordered before his sandaled feet even hit the wooden deck of the dock. He hunched down slightly as he put his hands over his eyes, scoping out what portion of the city that he could currently see for any shops that were selling his desired product. His nose was sniffing like a bloodhound's, searching for any whiff of cooking animal product that he could differentiate from the salty tang of the sea. Nami sighed as she watched him from her position leaned up against the railing he had just leaped from.

"Good grief… Your insatiable appetite is the reason we have to make so many stops for food, Luffy!" she cried over the rail, but it was no use. Luffy was too busy screaming at the others to hurry up so they could walk to a part of town that did in fact have meat. Sanji grabbed an apple and chucked it at his head; it collided with his forehead with a resounding _thonk!, _one with such tune that Nami could've sworn his skull almost sounded hollow.

"Eat that, why don't you?!" the cook shouted down at him angrily. He was very annoyed to have been interrupted while he was finishing taking stock of the kitchen stores. "We'll get meat when we get meat! Otherwise, you'll just have to starve for a while!" Nami smirked in bemusement as Luffy's grumbles under his breath floated up to greet her ears; his words were none too flattering. He leaned down to pick up the apple and shove the entire thing into his mouth, crunching it between his teeth as he continued to mutter insults about the mean cook.

"God, you idiots even manage to make a shopping trip a headache."

"Good morning, sunshine. I'm sorry, did we wake you?" Nami chirped without turning around; that deep, irritated growl could only belong to the Sunny's newest temporary passenger, Trafalgar Law. They had picked him, as well as two natives of Wano, up on Punk Hazard after a very puzzling series of events that had of course resulted in Luffy forcing his friendship in the unwilling Warlord, and once Luffy heard that Law wanted to take on fellow Warlord Donquixote Doflamingo, they had of course set off full-speed towards his kingdom of Dressrosa. They had been sailing together for several weeks now, and though she still only marginally trusted him, she at least enjoyed bantering with him. At least he wasn't a complete muscle-headed moron like the rest of her crew. Sometimes a girl just needed some intelligent conversation or back-and-forth quips that dangerously bordered on flirting. "Oh, wait, I forgot. You don't sleep, do you, Doctor?" she added teasingly, this time turning around to face him with a coy smile.

"You're awfully _chipper _today, Nami-ya," came the cool response. As she leaned back against the railing, hands clasped behind her back and that innocent yet undoubtedly suggestive smile painting her lips, he stood in front of her, at socially acceptable distance but close enough to imply participation in their daily little games. He had one hand buried in the pocket of his overcoat while the other held his Nodachi propped against his shoulder. His golden irises glinted in the sunlight that trickled underneath the rim of his hat as a result of the slight tip of his head, with all the precision of a hawk eyeing its prey. He always had they ferally playful spark in his eyes when he regarded Nami. His smirk matched Nami's perfectly.

"Well, what girl isn't excited to go shopping?" she countered matter-of-factly. Though wrangling in the crew like a bunch of toddlers was always a struggle on supply stops, it never really bothered Nami because it was always an opportunity to pick up a new outfit or two. She left out the part that this time she would have to limit herself because they were currently _extra_ broke. He looked like he was about to say something, but then Luffy's rubber hands appeared on the railing beside Nami and their attached captain vaulted himself up to perch like a monkey next to her.

"Trafalguy! Come food shopping with me, Zoro, 'n Sanji! It'll be fun! Fun!" He repeated the word as if doing so would sway Law's disinterest. The scowl on his face couldn't have been any clearer.

"If he doesn't want to go with Luffy, then perhaps he can come with us, right Nami?" Robin suggested as she walked over to join the conversation with little Chopper in tow. "Chopper said he wants to see if they have any medical supplies for sale and I want to take a look at the local bookstores. I'm sure we can find a store that interests the Surgeon of Death here," the archaeologist chuckled with a smile at Law. "How does that sound? Or, you could always stay here with Usopp and Franky."

Their gazes all panned to where the two shipwrights were attempting to repair a section of the railing that had collapsed in a storm a few days ago; Usopp had various types of tools stuck into his hair and was apparently doing some sort of impression that had Franky near-tears in laughter. Law didn't share the sentiment.

"I'll take you up on the offer, Robin-ya."

"_Boooooooo_!" Luffy pouted for half a second. After that, Sanji then hopped off the ship with Zoro with the announcement that they were on the hunt for food, and he zipped from the ship so fast that his outline in dust lingered for a moment beside Nami. The navigator turned to look at Law again.

"Well then, let's get going, shall we?"

"Hmm…" Nami murmured aloud as she turned her head side to side to inspect the necklace hanging around her neck. "Too gaudy," she sniffed before pulling it off and tossing it into the pile of similarly rejected baubles that had accumulated on the small side table beside the mirror that she was using to critique the antique shop's wearable wares. Robin had been intrigued by a collection of dusty tomes she had spied in the window from the street, and so the group had ventured into the shop to poke around while Robin did serious shopping. Chopper was sitting in a very plush chair that had nearly absorbed his furry form clutching a little potted succulent that he had claimed as his prize from a florist a few blocks down. Nami walked away from the mirror to rifle through the collection of necklaces that saw on a display next to him, listening with a small smile to his little snores as he napped. The poor little thing tired so quickly trotting around with the women on their shopping trips. _If only Law would take a page from his book… _

Nami teased him about it, but she really did worry about him. Nami was no doctor but she had enough sense to know what sleep deprivation did to a person… She had suffered plenty of it throughout her childhood, forced to remain awake in the deep of night drawing maps for that vile Fishman Arlong. She shuddered as she drudged up the unpleasant memories. She pressed a hand into her eye as she winced. It happened from time to time. Just the most random things could trigger her awful nightmarish thoughts. What had she even been thinking about before Arlong Park…?

"Tired already, Nami-ya?" She looked over her shoulder to see Law standing there with a case of some sort held in his hands; her expression must have betrayed the roiling emotions inside of her, because his instigative smirk instantly fell of his face, melting into one of quiet concern. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine. Like you say, I'm just tired." She really didn't feel like dwelling in it any longer, so she pushed away the topic of conversation and walked up at him. With no qualms whatsoever, she grabbed his wrist to make him show her what he was holding, and couldn't help but feel a hint of satisfaction when she felt his skin blaze with a body-wide blush at her action. "Whatcha got here?"

"Why're you so damn nosy?!" he spluttered and jerked his hand away to hold the case to his chest protectively. Nami had never seen him so flustered before; it was new and she liked that. Sticking out the tip of her tongue with a mischievous glint, she attempted to swipe the case from him, but he responded by holding it above his head and out of reach. "Back off! It's none of your business!"

"Come on, I wanna see!" she pouted as her hand uselessly flapped at the empty air below the case. Grunting, she grabbed her shoulder with one hand to steady herself and then stood on her tip-toes, trying to add a few inches to her arm length and grasp the case. Of course, she only succeeded in pressing her chest against him. It wouldn't be unlikely that his face would be permanently stained pink from how brightly they were glowing at the moment, and his back arched slightly as he tried to pull his face as far away from Nami's cleavage as he could. Of course, that was all part of her plan; even grim, tough, unbothered Trafalgar Law couldn't be immune to her feminine charm, right?

Apparently, _wrong_.

"Goddammit, I'm serious; _you're pissing me __**off**_!" he shouted at her, and she cried out in shock as he shoved her roughly in the shoulder. Because she was in such a vulnerable position, she became disbalanced and fell right onto her behind. She was lucky not to take any of the valuable merchandise with her, but it still knocked the breath out of her lungs and smarted quite a bit, she rubbed her tailbone tenderly with a loud whine, then shot a glare up at him.

"What's the big idea?! I just wanted to see!" she snapped at him. She felt pretty guilty about it right after, because she could tell from his wide eyes and paled face that he hadn't meant to actually hurt her. The fire instantly cooled from her head and she realized immediately that she had been in the wrong; she had invaded his personal space and tried to muscle her way into forcing him to show her something probably personal; of course, he would react that way. "Law…" she tried to apologize, but he had already whirled on his heel to stomp out of the store, slamming down the case of whatever-it-was down on the way out. Nami jumped up and ran out after him, calling his name, but he must've used his Room to get well away from her before she had the chance to stop him. Nami's shoulders sagged like a deflated balloon as she stood in the doorway of the antique shop, a small glimmer of hope flickering inside her that he would come back after a few minutes and she could apologize.

He didn't.

"Nami, what was that all about?" Robin inquired politely as she trudged back to where she had left Chopper. All the commotion had woken him up, and he was sitting there holding his little plant and looking back and forth wondering what had happened because he had been too sleepy to comprehend it.

"I may have pushed Law's buttons a little…" she admitted with an uncomfortable frown. Once again, she replayed the interaction in her mind once more to analyze both her and his behavior. For sure, she had been a little pushy, but… "Do you think he overreacted a little, though? I mean, I thought he would've grown used to me by now… He normally isn't so angry when I do stuff like that…" It wasn't like Nami hadn't spent their entire voyage up until now stepping on glass for him. Nami had no regard for personal space, generally, and would do it to all the crew members, guys and girls alike… Nudging them, throwing an arm around their shoulders, groping for stuff they were trying to hide from her… Normally he would either ignore her or just placate her. He brown eyes traveled to the sleek black case he had slammed onto the nearby side table. _Had he been that embarrassed to show me? _Making up her mind, she walked over to it and picked it up. "He didn't want me to know what was in this."

"Nami, if he didn't want to show you, perhaps it's something personal that he isn't ready to share yet. Maybe you shouldn't," Robin started to object. Nami knew it was good advice, but dammit, she had to know what had gotten Law into such a tizzy! Ignoring her friend's suggestion, she popped open the case to look inside.

"They're… coins."

"So he's a coin collector?" Chopper asked, hopping off the chair to totter over. Nami tipped the case down so he could see the intricate little coins tucked inside a fabric cushioning in the case.

"I don't get it. Why would he get so upset over a bunch of old coins?" Nami frowned while looking down at them. They didn't seem exceptionally special.

"Well, Nami, if you think about it, Law's not really the open type. It would probably be a pretty big deal for him to open up about his hobbies to someone," Robin shrugged. Nami's shoulders fell once more as it was put so plainly. That made sense to her. Nami just hadn't considered it because she was open about most parts of her life. _I should be more considerate… _

"Okay!" she decided aloud while snapping the case shut. "I'm gonna buy these for Law as an apology, and give them to him first thing when he comes back." She marched up to the counter to purchase the coins, and she booked it right back to the Thousand Sunny to wait for him, no longer even interested in new clothes or jewelry. She didn't tell any of the others about the fight or her gift of apology; she just held it tucked into her pocket the entire time, waiting for his return.

Except he didn't come back. By the time the sun had sunk down below the waves, the crew had eaten their dinner, and they had all started preparing for bed, Nami began to really worry that she had screwed up big time.

"Hey, what's taking Trafalguy so long, ya think?" Luffy asked over Nami's shoulder. She was practically fused to the railing now, eyes glued to the docks waiting for his cloaked form to appear at its end. The last thing that Nami wanted to do was admit that she had chased him off, so she just shrugged and made up some generic excuse as to why he would want to wander the city alone. Luckily, Luffy took that at face-value. "Well, you're on watch tonight, Nami. Keep an eye out for 'im, will ya?" he told her while patting her shoulder before disappearing into the bowels of the ship to sleep. It took Nami a long time to pry herself from the railing, but managed to do so by convincing herself that she could spot him better from up in the crow's nest. She retrieved a light jacket from the room she shared with Robin before ascending the rungs of the mast to tuck herself into the small nook at the top. It was a nice night, and her jacket staved off the little chill that resulted from the altitude.

With a long sigh, Nami pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. This made the case shift tightly in her back pocket, so she reached behind herself to tug it out and bring it out into the open. The moonlight made its enamel surface shine brightly. With dull, sad eyes, she popped open the case again to look at the coins contained inside. Their round edges all caught the moonbeams in a unique way to accent their various etched surfaces. They really were pretty, like liquid pools of gold and silver. She could see why Law liked them.

"I'm sorry… Please come back…" she murmured aloud, half-hoping the wind would catch her forlorn apology and carry it to him. She closed the case and hugged it to her chest miserably. It hadn't even been a day, and she missed him. She missed him at dinner because she couldn't slide up next to him and rub shoulders with him, just for him to lightly shove her in the side of her head. Sanji would always get so made and jump up onto the table proclaiming that he wanted to fight, only for Zoro to grab him by the back of the shirt and yank him back down, and then Sanji would turn on him. She missed walking past Chopper's room to see him teaching the little reindeer more about medicine, and seeing that rare genuine smile gracing his face. She missed their little game, their back-and-forth, their taunting teasing that they liked to pretend was only such but really was just a desperate ploy to get the other to understand each other. Tears formed in the corners of Nami's eyes and rolled down her cheeks, glittering like diamonds as they caught the pale moonlight.

"I love you… You know?"

* * *

Nami wasn't sure when she fell asleep, but God, she wished she hadn't. She found herself in an eerily familiar scene… A small room with papers stacked high, a desk and a chair with only a small window for light, a bed with a bumpy old mattress and thin, scratchy blanket… A pen, encrusted with her own dried blood. Nami screamed, but the voice of her child self is what spilled from her mouth. She looked down at herself in a panic and there it was, that hideous, vile tattoo on her shoulder that had branded her as good a slave. Her entire body was rigid as she stared at it, mouth open in a silent cry of horror. She heard the door open behind her, and with the jerky movements of a tangled marionette, she slowly forced herself to turn around.

"Nami… Did I say that you could take a break?"

With a strangled cry, Nami jerked into the waking world. Disoriented and still scared from her nightmare, she tossed onto her side and dug her fingers into her pillow. It was only when she heard the pained grunt that she somewhat came to her senses, enough to remember that she was in the crow's nest and didn't _have_ a pillow. Blearily, she lifted her hand to survey her surroundings, blinking as her eyes adjusted to the gloomy moonlight. _Oh… It's someone's lap… _Instinctively, she thought that Luffy or Sanji may have heard her crying and come to comfort her, which was not exactly an uncommon occurrence. Her threads of tangerine hair had fallen into her face, obscuring the view of her companion; as she swept them behind her ear, her mouth open to thank them for coming up to comfort her, the words died in her throat from sheer shock.

"Yeesh, Nami-ya, I know you're mad, but you don't have to rip my guts out," Law grunted as he tenderly rubbed at the area of his abdomen where Nami's fingers had twisted into him. She blushed lightly and sat up quickly, then looked down as she felt something slide off her shoulders. _Law's jacket… _she realized and looked up again to find that he had been shirtless the entire time. She frowned guiltily as she saw the flower-like arrangement of scratches her nails had left into his skin. She opened her mouth to apologize, but once again found herself voiceless when his golden eyes settled intently on her. "That must've been some nightmare that you were having." Nami blinked, then looked out at the sea somberly. She let the coat hang loosely around her arms so the cool night breeze could cool the hot sweat she had broken out into during her bad dream.

"… Yeah. I have them from time to time. I used to be enslaved to a Fishman named Arlong. He terrorized the East Blue and held my village captive, threatening to kill everybody in it unless I drew maps for him. He… killed my mother, too," she admitted, her volume of voice steadily dropping so that the last words she muttered were a mere whispered. It wasn't like she was afraid of admitting her past to him or anything… She just hated to talk about it. _But I want him to know about me, because… _

"Is that where this scar comes from?" She jerked back to him as she felt his fingers brush over the back area of her shoulder, tracing the bits of scar tissue that were visible around the tattoo of the pinwheel and tangerine. Normally she would flinch away, but somehow she found his caresses comforting.

"Mhmm. He branded me with his tattoo… It got really bad at one point and I kind of… Stabbed it. A lot."

"Remind me to never let you perform surgery." She couldn't help but giggle at his attempt to put his dry humor into the really depressing conversation. Nami smiled softly as his fingers left her shoulder to grab the cloak, pulling it back over her shoulder to cover the scars. His hand didn't fall, but rested there for a moment to take a strand of her tangerine hair and rub it between his thumb and forefinger. The entire time he kept his intense, golden gaze on her, never wavering but shaking, like he wasn't sure what quite he wanted to say. Nami was suddenly aware of the case pressing against her leg, and she reached down to pick it up. She blushed brightly before holding it out to him, and his eyes widened.

"I bought this for you, to say sorry… I shouldn't have been so pushy, Law," she told him sincerely with a smile. His eyes dropped down to the case, and he very slowly reached up to take the case of coins from her hands. "I don't know what's in it, it just looked really important to you," she lied, not wanting to admit that she very well did know what was in it.

"You liar." She puffed out her cheeks, appalled at being so brusquely accused, right or not. He didn't look angry though, just bemused.

"I just wanted to know what you were so damn insistent on hiding. It makes sense though- the big, bad Trafalgar Law having such a cute hobby as coin collecting? It would really affect your image," she teased lightly. She was almost too happy when he snorted and pushed her head. _It seems like he's getting back to his old self! _

"I have something for you too, Nami-ya."

"Eh?" She blinked as he shifted around and reached into his pocket, but he had it tucked behind his hand just so to where she couldn't see it.

"Close your eyes."

"Oh? I never pinned you to be the romantic type."

"Do it, or I'll return it and you get nothing."

"Okay! Okay!" she laughed and did as bid. She really had no idea what it could be, and she fidgeted impatiently. She instantly froze as she felt his fingers sliding to the back of her neck to attach what must've been the clasp of a necklace around her throat, and the puffs of his breath on her face as he leaned close to her to do so. Nami swallowed as her frantically beating heart took flight and tried to fly out of her mouth. She felt the light thump and cold caress of metal against her chest as the necklace dropped down, and instinctually she opened her eyes and looked down to inspect it. "Oh, Law…" she murmured as her fingers reached up to touch the pretty thing. It wasn't anything extravagant at all, just a simple chain with a charm at the end, but it was the charm that made it so breathtaking; hanging at the end of the necklace was an enamel charm of a tangerine, complete with a little green leaf budding from its stem. Nami immediately realized what had taken him so long. _He went looking all over town… To find something like this for me… _she thought and looked up at him with wide eyes. He gave her that rare genuine smile as he looked at her, quite proud of himself.

"How do you like it? You're a hard woman to please, or so I've heard."

"It's perfect." Silence settled between them as Nami admired the precious gift and Law searched for more words.

"Nami-ya…" he sighed finally. "I'm sorry about today. I shouldn't have gotten so angry."

"Yeah, you did overreact a little bit." He gave her a dour look, but really, had he expected her to insist that it was all her fault. He snorted with laughter and shook his head.

"You make me so-"

"What?" Nami cut in suddenly, desperately. She leaned forward slightly, fingers still playing with the tangerine necklace as she impatiently awaited what he was going to say. It could be nothing at all, or it could be everything at once, and Nami so hoped it was the latter. Even in the flush of the white moonlight she could see the haze of pink tainting his facial features; he leaned back as she advanced suddenly, and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly as he fought with himself. Nami didn't say anything, but her eyes begged him, _begged_ him to just be out with it and confirm what she hoped to be true…

"Ah, to hell with it," he muttered before he closed the distance between them. Nami hadn't expected the kiss to be so forceful and jarring, but it was Law, after all; a sharp gasp left her lips before Law quickly swallowed it by crashing his mouth into hers in a passionate display of affection. She grabbed onto his upper arms to ground herself as he pushed back against her, hands groping for her waist. After the first second or so, Law calmed down a little to settle in a steady rhythm with her, moving his lips against hers in deep, needy motions. She felt one of his hands skate up her back, traveling the length of her spine, before peeking out through the top of the cloak to curl into her tresses of tangerine hair; similarly, one of Nami's moved up his arm, across his shoulder, over the side of his head to push off his hat so she could get at the messy dark strands of his hair. Nami abandoned herself to the feeling welling up inside her, that rising pool of love and joy and want that filled her nerves with humming energy and washed over her like a tidal wave…

By the time they had pulled apart, they were both breathing a little hard. Between the mists of breath that were puffing from her slightly aching lips, she stared at Law, who was gazing right back with an expression that could only be love. It was a good look for him, she thought.

"I love you, you know." Hearing him purr those words with his hand still tangled into her hair made her want to kiss him all over again. Instead, she settled for scooching forward and turning her body to settle her head onto his shoulder. His arm slid with her to wrap around hers, pulling their sides flush together, and they looked out at the ocean together in silence.

As the gold hints of Nami's tangerine charm caught the first rays of sunlight, Nami whispered, "I love you too, Law."


	37. As Lovers Do

Category: Mild Romantic Fluff

Characters: Sanji, Nami

The smile on Sanji's face was serene as he took a long drag from his cigarette, facing the sapphire sea and the parallel aquamarine sky. The sun shone brilliantly in the heavens to bathe the tranquil waters in its warming glow, but the salty breeze sweeping over the gently frothing waves prevented it from becoming overwhelmingly hot. A few puffy clouds trawled along the endless expanse of the sky like they were sailing their own reverse Grand Line. It really was a beautiful day.

"O-kay!" Sanji grinned and rolled up the sleeves of his dark suit. He spun around on his heel, crushing the end of his cigarette between his teeth to keep it from flying out of his mouth, to address the crew of the Thousand Sunny (plus Law, Kine'mon, and Momonosuke). "What does everyone want for lunch today?" The smile was blasted off of the cook's face as everyone began clamoring at once, and he lamented not choosing to just cook something and surprise them with it like he normally did. Just underneath Luffy's incessant demands for meat, Sanji surveyed the various requests until he landed on something that caught his fancy. "Rice bowls? Yeah… With fried eggs and meat and vegetables…" he murmured while rubbing his chin thoughtfully, ingredients dancing around in his mind as a vision formed in his head.

"Woohoo! Rice bowls for the win!" Usopp crowed victoriously, as it had been his idea.

"Just make sure that there's plenty of meat, okay, Sanji?" Luffy insisted with a concerned frown. Sanji placated at him with assurances that he would never deny the captain his daily allowance of meat. However, Sanji didn't immediately move for the kitchen, as he had the unshakable sense that something was wrong. He swept his gaze across the gaze and immediately realized why.

"Where's Nami?"

"She has yet to come out of the room today. She was still asleep when I woke up," Robin reported matter-of-factly from where she was stretched out in a lounge chair studying a book. Sanji scowled and whirled around to march to the stairs.

"And no one thought to check on her?" he accused, spitting out the words with every stomp on the stairs, before mumbling under his breath about the incompetence and blatant rudeness of the other crew members. He stopped in front of the door to the girls' room and instantly changed his bitter tone to one of saccharine chivalry. "Nami-swan?" he trilled. He made no move to enter the room, as he wasn't going to do so without her permission under the probable circumstances that she was sick or otherwise indisposed. "I'm making lunch. How does a rice bowl sound to you?"

"I'm not hungry." He heard her voice float through the door, and his frown returned even deeper. Her voice wasn't necessarily sickly, but still frail and thick. It certainly didn't sound like his usual Nami. He lingered outside the door for a moment, debating on what to do. On the one hand, he wanted to know what was wrong with Nami and potentially comfort her in some way, but on the other, he certainly didn't want to cross any boundaries by invading her personal space if she wasn't feeling well for whatever reason. She must've known he was still there, because she called, "I'm all right, Sanji, I'm just really tired from all that business at Punk Hazard the other day. I'm just trying to sleep it off."

"Okay," he answered, but wasn't especially convinced. Chopper had seen to her wounds and she hadn't been terribly injured to start with. He decided to investigate more later, because Luffy had stretched his head down the hall to yell at Sanji to get started on cooking, and was making such a ruckus that Nami wouldn't be able to rest at all. He had to appease the hungry scoundrels abovedecks first. "All right, I'm coming, so stop making all that noise!" he growled as he walked by, shoving Luffy in his disembodied head hanging off his rubbery neck. With a "_Shishishishi_!" he snapped his head back to wait for Sanji up above. The cook tossed one more unsure glance over his shoulder at the closed door. _Nami-swan… What's wrong, my dear?_

* * *

"Yep. Something is definitely up," Sanji grimaced as he crouched down to stare intently at the rice bowl, now cold as ice, sitting untouched beside the closed door to the girls' room. He had brought it to Nami after feeding the rest of the crew, because of course he wasn't going to leave her hungry, and had very blatantly announced his intention to leave it outside the door for her. It was unlike Nami, even when sick or moody, to ignore his cooked meals for any reason; if she had denied crawling out of bed for it, that meant that things were drastic. Sanji had elected for some simple hot soup for dinner because he had suspected Nami must be ill or hurting after she had refused to come out of her quarters all day and held a bowl of the steaming concoction in his hand for her. He shoved the rice bowl aside with his foot to deal with later before knocking loudly on the door for the third time that day. "Nami?" he called, dropping his personalized honorific for her to show that he was serious this time. "I'm coming in." He waited for a second still to see if she instantly began refusing, but only silence greeted him; he took that as permission and turned the doorknob to enter.

The room was dark as night, though the sun still had yet to set. Nami had drawn the curtains to cast the bedroom in the crushing blackness. Sanji blinked repeatedly for a moment as his eyes adjusted to the gloom, until he could make out her form curled up beneath her comforter on her bed. She had her back to him, or what he surmised to be her back; she was buried beneath the blankets to have become basically a fluffy blob. "Nami?" he asked tentatively as he treaded lightly across the room, bearing the steaming bowl to her bedside table. "I brought you some soup," he added with a light-hearted, inviting tone. The blob of blankets and pillows jiggled as he assumed that she shook her head. "Nami, you haven't eaten anything all day. I'll make you anything you want, if you don't want soup."

"I don't want anything." A jolt immediately shot through Sanji as pain bloomed in his heart. Her voice sounded so pathetic and miserable; it didn't take a genius to know that she had spent all day in bed weeping rather than sick. What reason would his beloved Nami have to cry?

"Nami," he whispered as he kneeled down at her bedside. His hands hovered over the edge of the comforter, debating on whether to pull it back; after a moment of mental debate he decided that he wasn't going to back down until he knew what had hurt his Nami so, and so his fingers gently teased back the edge of the comforter to reveal the roots of her unwashed tangerine hair, tangled and matted from a night of obvious tossing and turning. She made no move to resist. "Nami, you haven't been yourself. Please tell me what's wrong," he asked her imploringly. Nami let out a small whimper, shifting around a little in the covers to stifle a sob; Sanji took this as an appropriate sign to pull the covers down below her face, and it damn near broke his heart when he did.

She had turned on her side to face him, and he had never seen her look such a mess. The tear stains had driven stark lines into her unwashed face. Her eyes were red and puffy and swollen from a day of intermittent crying, and her lips were all chapped and dry. Her brown eyes, fixed on his alarmed, surprised face, were flooded with a fresh wave of tears. "Nami…" he breathed in pure pain and sorrow, and he swept one of his fingers across her cheek to catch the tears that began rolling down her flushed cheeks.

"Bellemere," she choked out, and it all clicked like a puzzle piece into place in the riddle in Sanji's head. What other reason would Nami have to cry in bed all day besides the anniversary of her mother figure's death? Even just whispering the woman's name sent her into a fresh crying fit. She buried her face into the mattress, already puddled with her tears, as poorly suppressed sobs wracked her body. Wordlessly, Sanji got up and walked across the room to close the door back and switch the lock for good measure, then briskly walked back across the room to once more be at her side. As he kneeled down on the floor again, really only planning to comfort her with his presence, she pushed herself onto her hands and looked at him pitifully. "S-Sanji… Will… Will you hold me?"

The moment was so serious that his goofy little side of him didn't even rear its ugly head. He didn't even bother to confirm aloud or with a nod; he just slipped one arm beneath hers to grab her gently but firmly around the waist, and the other slipping underneath the covers to find her legs and tuck it behind her knees. With one fluid motion, he pulled her from the bed to situate her in his lap, pulling down the comforter with her. Nami waited until he had turned around to prop up against the side of the bed to curl up into a ball to bury her face into the crook of his neck with a mixture of a contented sigh and a miserable whine. As she set to softly crying again, Sanji used one hand to fix the comforter around her to make sure she was cozy and warm; the other was wrapped around her in a tight, reassuring hug. He then just sat there, head leaned back against the mattress as he felt her bitter tears painting patterns all across his neck before absorbing into his clothes, and he wished to God he had the words to say to make her stop hurting. He didn't, and he knew that, and he hoped that holding her so would be enough.

He wasn't sure how long she cried in his arms. Long enough for him to get drowsy and began to nod off. Her hoarsely murmuring his name jerked him out of semi-consciousness, and it took him a minute to regain his bearings.

"Nnh? Oh, Nami, are you all right now?" he asked as he picked his neck up to look at her, wincing at the uncomfortable pop that cracked in his stiffened joints. She was sitting up slightly so that she was eye-level with him.

"Mhmm. I feel much better. Thank you."

"Anything for my beautiful Nami-swan," he purred, but with feeling, and swept a few stray strands of her orange hair from her face. He halted his motions as she leaned into his hand, grabbing it with hers to press it against his cheek. Her brown eyes closed for a moment, then flickered to his, bearing an alluring, inviting fire that set his heart to hammering in his chest. He had spent so long wishing for that look in her eyes, and yet, now that the moment was here, he was trying to convince himself that he was delirious or imagining it. Seeing his hesitation, Nami decided to take the lead, her other hand twisting into the fabric of his shirt to pull herself forward. Her eyes bore into his all the while her face neared his, until right before their lips met, where she closed them and pressed their mouths together.

As his brain registered the impossible softness of her lips meeting his, the switch finally flipped. He immediately captured her mouth in his, claiming her lips in passionate, repetitive kisses while his hands itched to roam her body. Her fingers slid from his to settle lightly on his elbow as he slipped his hand to the back of her head, teasing into her orange tresses; his other hand tracked a continuous course from her hip across the small of her back up her spine and back down again. He felt her other hand playing with the ends of his blonde hair, twisting it round and round her finger. He almost died on the spot and achieved nirvana when she let out a small, contented hum against his mouth; he felt it pulse through his entire body to pluck his heartstrings just so in an overjoyed melody bursting with all the love he had ever felt for her and more. When she pulled back, he grabbed her face and kissed her again lightly, once, twice, three more times, before he finally convinced himself to stop. When he opened his eyes to look at her, she was giving him a tiny but overwhelmingly overjoyed smile. Now that the moment was over, Sanji reverted back to some stunned schoolboy in a amazed stupor.

"… So, about that soup-"

"Thank you, Sanji," Nami chuckled. Her slim arms appeared from the blankets to reach up onto the nightstand and retrieve the meal, delicately bringing it down so as not to spill any of the still-warm concoction. It seemed she had no care to remove herself from his lap, so he just enjoyed the closeness as she spooned some of his hard work into her mouth. "It's delicious, as always." Complimenting him stoked the fires of confidence within him.

"I'm not sure. Mind if I have a taste?" he asked in a husky whisper while leaning forward. Nami picked up some of the soup in the spoon for him, but he lightly pushed it aside with his finger, instead opting for the lingering hint of the flavors clinging to her lips. Faint traces of various spices mingled with the haughty tomato base complimented by the just barely detectable acidic tang of tangerines graced the tip of Sanji's tongue as he drew it across her bottom lip. He dared no further, and he couldn't tell if she was frustrated or embarrassed when he pulled back to eye her in amusement.

"You fiend."

"I'm _your_ fiend, Nami-swan," he replied with a devilish grin. He took one of her hands, warmed from pressing against the ceramic of the bowl, to lightly kiss her palm. "Your fiend… Your prince… Your devil… Your knight in shining armor… I'll be all those for you and more," he whispered, his lips blooming with the warmth of her soft skin as they brushed patterns into it. Nami hitched a slight breath at his ministrations, and another when his glittering eyes flickered upwards to meet hers.

"… Just my Sanji is enough," she said finally, a smile with a warmth that rivaled the blazing sun gracing her face. The corners of his mouth inevitably eased upwards into a smile of equal emotion, and he kissed her palm once more before dotting several kisses on her wrist, up her arm, over her shoulder, across her neck, trailing her jawline before finally finishing once more at her just impossibly decadent lips. After another minute of long, passionate kisses, he retreated just slightly.

"Then that's what I'll be. Anything for my Nami-swan," he mused again. She snuggled close to him as he drew his fingers through her hair that burned with the orange hue of sunset, settling her head into his chest to continue consuming the soup he had been so gracious to bring her. With no care to venture outside the room at all or even abandon the hard floor for the soft embrace of the bed, the two continued to trade sweet nothings and titillating touches long after Nami had finished and the bowl had been cast aside for the lingering droplets of soup to crust over and harden, conversing deep into the night as lovers so often do…


	38. Even Polar Bears Need Mittens, Too!

Category: Friendship Fluff

Characters: Nami, Bepo

Requested By: anubislover (Tumblr)

Nami was painfully aware of two things upon waking up that morning: first, the normally comfortable warmth of her and Robin's bedroom had been replaced by a bitter, breath-fogging chill, and second, the soothing rocking motion of the waves beating upon the Thousand Sunny was eerily absent. _Oh, no! It can't be!_ She thought in a panic and threw the covers off herself; she immediately hissed in displeasure and flung the warm, soft blanket back over herself as the winter air leaped forward to dig into the susceptible bare flesh of her legs with eager teeth. She rubbed her palm over her affronted legs to find that goosebumps had already sprouted despite only the briefest of exposure to the harsh atmosphere. Treading more carefully this time, she gathered the comforter around her body to serve as a fluffy shield from the cold and eased out of bed. She hopped around on her feet, not wishing to touch the icy wooden floors with her bare feet for too long, until she found the slippers she always kept at her bedside. After a few minutes of digging around, she was able to procure a set of winter gear- slim-fitting, dark jeans, black combat boots, a maroon knitted sweater, a black overcoat inlaid with ginger faux fur, and a pair of maroon gloves with a matching beanie complete with a black pom-pom. Dark colors absorbed the sunlight better and made Nami's tresses of tangerine hair pop all the more (because a girl always had to take her image into consideration!).

Nami immediately regretted leaving the warm cocoon of her bed when she opened the door to the upper decks and was blasted in the face with howling winter wind. Snow flurries buried themselves into her hair, decorating her like glitter, while others spiraled down the wind into the hall to flutter lazily down to coat the iced-over wooden floors. Under the assault of the insistent wind that dove into the hall and tried to swirl back out, Nami had a time of keeping the heavy door from slamming shut onto her delicate fingers; however, she managed to jump out at an opportune lull in the stream and carefully walk up the icy steps out onto the main deck of the Thousand Sunny.

The Grand Line's unpredictable weather patterns had struck again, and full-force this time, too; the Sunny looked like it had ventured into the Arctic. Snow was steadily falling from the cloudy heavens, occasionally tossed around in fluttering flurries as a shrieking wind swept across the deck like a wintery dragon with a vendetta. It had piled up on the deck about half a foot deep and decorated the balustrade and mast in a fluffy layer. Everything else was completely encased in a sheath of fine, crystalline ice. In the glass panes it wove fern-like patterns, the only reference to the green world in this universe of white and gray and blue.

"Zoro?" she called as she tromped through the snow. Sinking up to her calves, Nami had to take extra-large steps to keep from tripping in the thick icy fluff. The swordsman was often awake in the wee hours of the morning but was taking an early morning nap around the time the others were awakening, and Nami knew that the dense man could easily sleep through a snowstorm and awaken with hypothermia or frostbite, if he didn't just wake up a solid blue corpse. Thankfully, it seemed the chill had awoken him plenty, as he came stomping through the snow dressed in a coat of thicker fabric than usual, though the lout insisted on keeping his chest bared to the unforgiving winter's bite. Sanji, with a small snow shovel propped on his shoulder and wearing a blue winter coat lined with cotton, came tromping along after him.

"Nami-swan! Please tell me you know when this damn blizzard is gonna end!" the cook groaned loudly.

"Why does that matter? We can just sail out of it."

"Not exactly," Zoro grunted and gestured to the railing of the ship. Nami sloughed through the snow until she got close enough to the edge of the ship to see the expansive ocean beyond, and immediately groaned in annoyance. For as far as the winter clouds stretched in the observable circumference, the ocean was frozen over in a solid block of ice. Even if they attacked it with pickaxes and tried to coax the Sunny to the faint line of warm blue water hovering at the ice's edge, it would take days to do so, and it was definitely more reasonable to just wait for the weather pattern to pass. Nami grimaced at the thought. _Who knows how long that'll take, and it's cold as balls out here! _She thought grumpily while rubbing her arms, which were cooling even with the fluffy down of her jacket.

"Guess we'll just have to suffer," she moaned. Raucous laughter at the end of the deck caught her attention; she turned to see Usopp, Chopper, and Luffy gathering up little handfuls of snow and flinging them in each other's faces in a makeshift snowball fight. A small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth; they were idiots sometimes, but it always did do her heart good to see them having some good old plain fun like the couple of boys they really were. _As long as there isn't the immediate threat of death, they can enjoy themselves to the fullest, _she reasoned before calling over to Sanji, "Hey, why don't you make us all some hot chocolate? I'll see if Law is okay in the submarine, too." While the cook tossed heart eyes her way and dashed off to cater to her whim, Nami walked the edge of the boat until she reached the place that the Polar Tang was moored against the Sunny.

After the business in Wano, the alliance of Straw Hats and Heart Pirates had decided to appreciate their company a little longer (which was definitely more Luffy's doing than Law's). Franky had rigged up a handy contraption to allow the submarine to the Sunny without unbalancing it or damaging it when they were fully underway, and by combining the natural sailing capability with the submarine's engine, they had improved their speed by fifty percent as well. "Law? Hey, are you guys popsicles in there?" she called as she climbed down the set of ladder rungs that Usopp and Franky had attached to the ship to allow easy access to the submarine. The sole of her boots striking the surface of the uppermost deck made dull clunking noises. She walked across the deck to the door, preparing to knock, but was startled when it was suddenly thrust open. She instinctively jumped backwards, which was the wrong move, because she lost traction on the slick icy layer over the wood. She pinwheeled as she lost her balance and tipped backwards, but before she could land on her behind, the submarine's captain grabbed her firmly by the elbow and hooked his foot under one of hers to brace her. He largely held her up by the strength of one arm, which brought a hint of rose to Nami's cheeks and reminded her once more of how strong Law was even though he hid all his muscles under that long coat of his.

"Careful, Nami-ya. I wouldn't want you hitting that pretty head of yours." Nami's relationship with Law was an interesting one; one never knew what was going to come out of their mouths to one another, whether it be purred compliments or insulting jibes. They yipped at each other like a couple of cunning foxes in a perpetual game of "who-can-one-up-who" that dangerously bordered on courtship; it was not uncommon that their words and looks mirrored those of two individuals in a steamy, saucy game of "hard-to-get." Sure enough, his mouth was curled in that undeniable smirked that just begged Nami to retort with some minxy jibe, but with the persistent cold seeping beneath her coat to nibble at her skin, she decided that such trifles would be saved for more suitable climates. Using Law's grip as a bracer, she straightened herself up and ensured that she had a solid stance on the slick ice before indicating that she was quite all right. It was only then that she could get a good look at him and see that he too was not immune to the brisk weather, as he had zipped his coat all the way up to hide his sprawling tattoos and had white gloves on his hands. "So, I imagine that we won't be escaping this climate anytime soon," he guessed with one glance at the surrounding ice.

"Nope," she sighed and glanced upwards at the sky to analyze the speed of the clouds. "The system is moving pretty slowly, so my guess is that we'll be trapped in this ice storm for at least a few days or so."

"Damn… It's taking our heating system all it can to keep all the metalworks from freezing over…" Law mumbled under his breath. Before the two of them could exchange any more words, Nami heard the shrill whistle of an arcing projectile screaming overhead. She had no time to react as a snowball exploded in Law's face and sent him shooting back into the depths of the Polar Tang, but thankfully not too far because the furry bulk of the arriving Bepo provided a pretty soft landing. Nami made no care to stifle her laughter as the Surgeon of Death came stalking back out into the winter air, shaking snow out of his face and hair. It didn't take a genius to figure out who had flung it at him, either. "Straw Hat-ya, you imbecile, now is _not_ the time for games!"

"Trafalguy! Come have a snowball fight with us!"

"Did you not hear me?!"

"A snowball fight?! We wanna play!" came the simultaneous chiming of Penguin and Shachi from the entryway, and Law let out a strangled _urk! _as the two boys muscles past him to scamper out onto the deck of the Polar Tang in an attempt to join Luffy and the others in their winter revelry. They of course slid around on the ice like a couple of buffoons for a few minutes trying to reach the ladder, eventually resorting to easing over on their hands and knees.

"Aw, come on, Law, they're just having fun. We might as well play in the snow; there's nothing better to do," she smiled placatingly as he listened to his crewmates' raucous hoots and hollers of laughter drift down from the Thousand Sunny with the occasional stray snowball.

"I don't _play_ in the snow, Nami-ya."

"Law! Will you come build a snowman with me?" As Chopper's innocent sing-song voice preceded his little furry form and hopeful eyes peeking over the railing of the Sunny, Nami watched Law's body stiffen like a solid board. He flushed pink and pulled down his hat, mumbling under his breath for a moment, before he thickly called up, "I'm coming, Chopper-ya…" Nami chuckled heartily as she watched Law _Room _himself up beside Chopper, who jumped up and down and hugged his arm elatedly. _Not even the Surgeon of Death can say no to our sweet little Chopper. _

"N-Nami?" The navigator turned her head as the polar bear mink abruptly addressed her.

"What's up, Bepo?" His watery black eyes could not bear to meet hers but flickered downward to train on the intricate icy patterns adorning the wood. His nails clacked lightly as he tapped them together in a nervous fidget. "Would you mind teaching me more about maps?" Nami blinked slightly in confusion; in the time that the two crews had spent together, the talented cartographer had of course been sharing her knowledge of maps with him, but she wasn't sure why he wanted to do such a normal, everyday activity when the opportunity to do something new and fun had presented itself.

"Wouldn't you like to come play in the snow with us, Bepo?" she suggested with a bright smile. The poor thing couldn't blush, but she could tell that he was embarrassed from the way he flattened his ears to his head and twitched his massive white-furred body.

"I can't… My paws get cold." Nami hastily swallowed the disbelieving comment that arose in her throat, because she didn't want to insult the sensitive fellow. Nami had no idea how a polar bear's paws could freeze but considering the circus troupe of colorful people she sailed with, anything was possible. "Everyone else can play just fine because they have mittens, but we've never been able to find any my size," he lamented while holding up his clawed paws. Naturally no market would sell mittens for a bear. _Poor thing! He doesn't deserve to have to sit out while everyone else has fun! _Nami thought as a pang of pity pierced her heart. She grinned brightly and reached up to grab one of his furry paws with both of her hands.

"Don't worry, Bepo! Come with me. I'll whip up some mittens for you!" she assured him before whirling on her heel and pulling him across the deck of the Polar Tang before ascending the ladder. The bear just silently shambled along behind her as she trekked back through the snow covering the spacious deck of the Sunny; the snow was falling so heavily that the small trench she had produced just a few minutes ago had already largely filled, forcing Nami to track a new path through the thick fluff. In fact, the layer had already thickened up to her knees. Nami actually pulled out her Climatact to help shovel the snow to wither side to help clear her way, but only with marginal improvement; very soon her arms were aching. "Jeez! You wouldn't think snow would be so heavy. I'll have to get Franky to shovel some of this stuff off before our deck collapses!" she panted. Bepo, despite his bulk, seemed to have no problem pushing through the snow; after a moment of watching her struggle, he let out a nervous mumble before lightly tapping her on the shoulder. Nami paused to turn around, leaning on her Climatact for support. His small ears fluttered and his little nails clicked together as he considered something silently for a moment, and then to Nami's surprise, he leaned down to pull her gently into his big furry arms.

"U-um, I thought it would be easier this way…" he admitted shyly while scratching the side of his head with one claw. Nami beamed and wrapped her slim arms around his thick neck and nuzzled her nose into his fluffy cheek.

"How considerate! Thank you, Bepo." She felt the bear's skin warm as he did the Mink equivalent of blushing, and his words were an incoherent gush of mumbles as he adjusted Nami in his arms to make her more comfortable. Feeling a stare on her, Nami glanced over her shoulder to see Law staring intently at the pair from across the deck. "Jealous?" she called over while sticking out her tongue. Law snorted in derision and pulled his hat down over his face, but Nami could see the haze of pink over his cheeks even from the considerable distance. Most likely he just didn't want to admit that his navigator carrying Nami made an adorable scene, but he was just so easy to tease when it came to Bepo that she just couldn't help but throw jibes when the opportunity presented itself. "Don't worry, Law, I'm sure Bepo would carry you too if you asked him!" she laughed while rubbing the top of Bepo's head through his hat.

"Ugh, Nami-ya, that's not what I-" he snapped at her, then flushed further when he realized that he would just open the door for the wily ginger-haired woman to tease him further. Grumbling under his breath, he whirled around to instead re-focus his energy on the half-finished snowman that Chopper was molding with his hooves. Nami laughed mischievously again before looking back at the polar bear, who was just trying to pretend that Nami hadn't been so boldly flirting with his captain.

"Mittens, right? Let's go!"

Bepo carried her the last leg across the deck in record time; indeed, if Nami had insisted on sloughing her way through the snow herself, they would've been there for fifteen minutes at least. He gently set her down on the steps once they arrived, and Nami carefully picked her way down them, holding one hand against the frosty wall to aid her balance. She would hate to ungracefully slip and tumble down the stairs to earn herself a bruised bottom or sprained ankle on a day that promised a lot of fun. She led Bepo to her and Robin's room. His massive frame barely was able to squeeze through the threshold, and he took up a large amount of space, requiring Nami to navigate around him as she searched her belongings for old clothes that she could retrofit into a pair of mittens for him.

"I'm sorry if I'm in the way…" he sighed apologetically and resorted to his nervous tick again. Nami smiled brightly up at him as she rifled through one of her trunks of sweaters.

"There's nothing to apologize for, Bepo. You're never a bother!" It was no secret that he was a little insecure, and so Nami always tried to do her best to encourage him. He smiled shyly and shuffled his feet, indicating that Nami's compliments were warming him a little. "Ah-ha!" she cried jovially as she procured a lovely yellow wool sweater patterned with black stripes. "It'll match your jumpsuit, too!" she grinned as she poked at the jolly roger emblazoned on the fabric as she passed him. She walked over to a small sewing machine situated on a little table in the corner. With how much Nami loved clothes and saving money, she of course knew how to sew, and with the boys tearing their clothes to shreds all the time, she had invested in the small machine to make quick work of the many repair jobs she was often subjected to. Bepo lumbered over to stand over her shoulder to watch her work, ears fluttering in curiosity; smiling, Nami graciously leaned back so that he could observe her handiwork.

"You're going to make mittens from that sweater?"

"Mhmm. There's no sense in letting this fabric just collect dust," she nodded as she cut out the patterns of the mittens using a large pair of shearing scissors. Tossing the rest of the fabric aside into a little basket of fabric she would find a use for later, she turned on the sewing machine and pushed the mitten pieces underneath the needle. She felt Bepo release an awed breath over her shoulder as the needle began punching thread into them at high speeds; Nami's nimble fingers guided the fabric around to form the seams. In no time at all, she had produced one bear-sized pair of mittens, complete with little holes in the fingertips so his claws wouldn't shred the fabric and unravel Nami's hard work. His ears flattened to his head as she whirled around in her little stool to hold them up. "Here you go! Try those on." He very gently took the mittens in his paws before slipping them on, pushing his claws through the added holes and flexing his hands experimentally. He then gave Nami a huge smile that crinkled his already small eyes.

"Thank you, Nami! They're wonderful! Now I can play in the snow too!" he rejoiced and jumped from foot to foot in joy. Nami giggled and stood up from her chair.

"I'm so glad you like them." He nodded eagerly as he held his mitten-covered paws up to his face to gaze at them endearingly, then rubbed his cheek against one, sighing at how soft they were. His eyes then snapped open and he looked down at her excitedly.

"Nami! Will you make snow angels with me?!"

"Of course!" She grinned, then gasped in alarm as Bepo suddenly took off across the room to squeeze out of the doorway and hurry up the steps. "Hey! Not so fast; you'll fa-" She didn't even get to finish warning him before she heard a startled yelp followed by a series of rapid thunks that could only be the polar bear Mink tumbling down the stairs. She exhaled deeply with a wan smile, shaking her head before walking out to see if he was all right. She found him on his back at the base of the steps in the process of rolling over; it seemed the fall didn't do much, as he immediately scrambled back to his paws and went shambling up the stairs with an excited, impatient "Come on, come on!"

"I'm coming!" she assured with another laugh and carefully followed him back up to the winter wonderland that the Sunny had become. For the next several days, the two crews busied themselves with all sorts of winter revelry, and Bepo made sure he showed everybody the wonderful mittens that the gracious Nami had made for him…


	39. All Yours

Category: Mild Romantic Fluff

Characters: Sanji, Nami

Requested By: fangirlingwithnoregrets (Tumblr)

A contented sigh breezed past Nami's lips as she savored the heavenly feeling of the warm island sand between her toes. The sunlight gleamed over her shoulders, reflecting on the thin layer of sunscreen slathered over her skin, as she rolled them with satisfying pops. Behind her, she could hear the rest of her raucous crew climbing out of the little Mini Merry II to splash into the surf; she had been the first to exit the boat to come ashore.

It was a little island right before their intended destination of the Saobody Archipelago. Though it had not registered on the log pose, being really just a wee spit of land in a vast sea, Luffy has spied it from his usual perch on the Sunny's figurehead and of course demanded that they stop to investigate it. At first glance, it didn't seem like much, just a sandy atoll with a few coconut trees and shrubs decorating the thin circle of fine white sand, but the coral reef it hid in its unassuming figure was exceptionally impressive. Nami couldn't wait to break out her snorkeling equipment to explore the underwater tropical haven; who knew, it could be hiding a chest of gold!

"Franky! Gimme a boost! I wanna get some coconuts!" Luffy cackled as he all but zoomed past her in a mad dash for aforementioned trees. Nami watched with a bemused expression as he jumped up onto the cyborg's shoulders in a delicate balancing act to pluck the furry fruits one by one from the broad-leafed tree until he was dangerously wobbling about with an armful of enough coconuts for the lot of them. With an alarmed cry he toppled right off of Franky's shoulders to land roughly on his back in the sand, all the coconuts crushing into his chest to knock the breath out of him before rolling off in various directions. If Nami didn't know Luffy and his medically impossible uncrushable bones, she would've wondered if he had broken a rib or two; he laid there a minute before jumping right back to his feet, seemingly non-winded as he rapidly scooped up his prizes and scampered back over to the waiting cook. "Sanji! Can you cut these open?" he grinned widely as he plopped them into a neat little pile at his feet.

"Sure, but it'll take a while to crack these open. Twenty of thirty minutes, probably," Sanji responded as he crouched down to observe the coconuts for any sign of decay or disease. Luffy let out a wheedling whine; impatient as ever, he was.

"Can't Zoro just cut them all with his swords?"

"Theoretically, yeah, but then he'll just make a mess and there won't be any coconut milk in them by the time he's done!" Sanji snorted in response as he lit up a cigarette and pulled out a kitchen knife to begin working on the coconuts. "You're just gonna have to find something else to occupy your time, Luffy." Nami rolled her eyes at the agonized groan that spilled from her captain's mouth. _It's so hard to believe that such a childish man has taken down some of the most fearsome pirates on the Grand Line! _She thought as she watched him stamp his feet and cross his arms. It took all of two seconds for his attention to be captured by a hermit crab scuttling across the sand. He crouched down to watch it, then began shambling along after it in a mocking manner with a giddy "_shishishishishi_!"

"Good grief, that boy…" she muttered under her breath. Still, as long as he was occupied and Sanji was nearby to babysit him to ensure he didn't try to wrestle a shark or something, Nami could do as she pleased. Humming a tune contentedly under her breath, she walked to the edge of the sand leading to the inside of the atoll. Just mere inches from where the crystal clear water lapped at the edge of the sand, the coral reef spilled out in all its glory. Nami removed her tee shirt and jean shorts to reveal a white floral-patterned bikini underneath, taking care to unhook her snorkeling mask from her belt loop before folding her clothes neatly and placing them well out of splash range. Because the coral was packed so tightly together, she decided against wearing flippers, because she would certainly feel guilty about destroying any of the beautiful formations in her exploration. Securing the mask over her face, she stepped a few paces out into the water. It was wonderfully warm. Careful to step on the patches of sand between the corals, she waded out into the atoll until she was about waist-deep, then leaned over to hover just at the top of the water and behold the colorful world just below the ocean.

Her movement startled the local fishes, sending them darting into various nooks and crannies. Nami, attempting to ease them back out, moved very slowly as she meandered over the reef toward its center. Even without the tropical fish, the corals were magnificent in their own right; despite sailing most of her life, Nami could easily say that this was the most beautiful she had ever seen. Most of the corals were a dull brown, creamy white, or blood red, but this reef actually had vibrant color to it, too, lavish purples and summer yellows and even earthy greens. The corals populated every inch of bare rock they could to form towering formations. Shelf corals stretched out beside bumpy stag corals. Corals sat like little tea tables on the sandy bottom, or sat clustered at the rock base in swirling, foliage like arrangements, or encrusted the surface of the rocks in rough-looking layers. Fan corals waved gently at Nami as she swam by, while cup corals wriggled their tentacle-like appendages in greeting instead. A massive brain coral was surrounded by plumes of leaf coral, making it seem like an egg sheltered in a leafy nest. As Nami arrived at the center of the reef, the local sea life had finally acclimated to her presence and had gathered their courage to investigate the strange newcomer.

A school of patterned butterflyfish drifted close to poke and prod at Nami's lightly tanned skin, making her giggle. As the bubbles streamed up to the surface from her grinning mouth, some parrotfish ambled through them, their coral-crunching beaks opening in closing as if they were trying to vocally greet her. A colorful sea star scuttled across the bottom underneath her, startling a flounder that had buried itself and sending it careening off to find a better hiding spot. Nami approached one of the corals to find with glee a blue-and-white sea slug slowly sliding down its side, while a few clownfish in a nearby anemone watched it carefully. A few spiny sea urchins were clustered around the barrels of a large green sponge, and they rolled about a little as Nami came onto the scene, unsure whether to stay or go. Just as Nami sucked in a breath to roll onto her back and appreciate the way the sunlight dappled across the shifting surface of the water, a spotted ray glided overhead, looking like the bottom of a mysterious ship sailing overhead. _Wow… It's all so gorgeous, _she thought in great awe as she rolled back over. It was then that she noticed the collection of small shells littering the sandy bottom. _I could make a bracelet out of those! _She thought. The bottom was well within reaching difference, so she didn't even have to dive down to get them.

Over the course of her adventure with Luffy, Nami had taken to making her own clothes and jewelry. Sometimes they would spend weeks at sea, and Nami would simply grow tired of her wardrobe, so she had taken to purchasing raw fabrics and jewels in the like so that she could always make a new outfit if she wanted to. It was a great way to relieve her stress when mapmaking wasn't available. She had found that her mind often drifted to creating clothing ideas eyeing just the most random things, and now her mind was captured by the accessory potential of the little shells of the atoll. Nami didn't take many, just enough to make a cute bracelet or two out of, because she didn't want to disrupt the ecosystem by eliminating potential homes for the hermit crabs. After taking what she dare, she waved jovially to all the little fish and sea creatures before clutching her collection of shells to her chest and returning to the surface. She pulled the mask off her face and tossed her sodden tangerine hair about, blinking away the water that was streaming over her sun-kissed face.

"Nami-swan! The coconuts are ready~!" came Sanji's joyful trill from the beach.

"Coming!" she called back and began carefully picking her way back to the sand. She held the little shells tightly as she walked up to where her clothes were. Sanji was there waiting for her with a towel stretched out nearly as wide as the grin on his face. "Oh, thank you," she smiled and turned her back to him so he could delicately throw it over her shoulders. Sanji practically melted at her acceptance of his little gesture, clasping his hands and wriggling about while he sang compliments about her cute bathing suit. Though at first she had taken advantage of his incessant crush for her to win favors, Nami had actually grown to appreciate his little gestures. They really were sweet, and borne out of a true desire to please her, so what girl wouldn't swoon a little? It was a little much sometimes, how much he gushed over her, but Nami couldn't help the smile that came to her face every time.

"Here, Nami-swan!" Sanji chirped over her shoulder, and she turned around to see half a coconut filled with succulent coconut juice, complete with a bendy straw and a little umbrella. Nami dropped the shells down beside her clothes to take the drink and sipped at it experimentally. Naturally, a contented "Mmmm!" came next, because the coconut milk was just the right blend of sweet and hydrating, and she flashed Sanji a grateful smile. "Only the best for my beautiful Nami!" he cried while dramatically posing. Nami just giggled before sitting down in the sand, coconut in one hand while the other sifted through her shells to try and piece together how to arrange them into jewelry. Rather than rejoin the rest of the crew piled on the other end of the shore drinking their coconut milk and cutting up, Sanji crouched down to observe her. "Oh? Are you going to make something out of these?"

"Yep! I'm thinking a bracelet or a necklace."

"You should make a matching set! They would look great on you, Nami-swan!" he nodded approvingly. Before Nami could say anything else, Luffy screaming particularly loudly caught both their attentions; it seemed he had pissed off the hermit crab that he had been following, as it was now very aggressively pinching his nose. As he jerked his head back, unsuccessful at pulling it off due to his skin's rubber properties, the rest of the crew was less than helpful, settling for rolling around in the sand laughing at his expense.

"It's not funny, guys! Get it off!" Luffy wailed very nasally. Sanji snorted in laughter and slapped his thighs with his hands before standing up to his tall height.

"Hang on, Luffy, I'm coming," he laughed as he strode back across the beach. _Nothing but trouble. Honestly, what would any of us do without Sanji? _Nami mused silently before looking back down at her shells. _A matching set, huh? _An idea hatched in her mind as she considered the prospect, and a satisfied grin formed on her lips. _Yeah, I definitely like the sound of that… _Bringing the straw to her mouth, she took a big sip of the coconut milk as her creative mind began to waltz with the vision of her finished products…

* * *

While the rest of the crew occupied themselves by playing in the sand or taking a page from Nami's book and exploring the island, the ginger-haired navigator remained rooted to her spot, meticulously stringing the shells together into jewelry. Robin had been kind enough to take a trip back to the Thousand Sunny to retrieve her jewelry-making kit from their bedroom; the case was currently open beside her, with a half-used spool of clear plastic string and a small pair of pliers in close reach. The trickiest, and most time-consuming, part was punching a small hole in the shell without breaking it, but with a sharp needle and some precision, Nami was able to manage just fine. The sun was just beginning to hover over the horizon by the time she finished. With a grin, she held up her handiwork to admire it.

At Sanji's suggestion, she had indeed made a matching set. The feature piece of the necklace was a small one-fourth piece of a sand dollar, and strung bilaterally were alternating red-and-white-striped scallops, white baby ears, and tiny limpet shells up to the gold clasp in the back. The bracelet bore the exact arrangement, with a small piece of a sand dollar instead so it would not be cumbersome or heavy. The golden light spilling from the sunset jumped over her shoulders to catch the reddish and gold accents of the jewelry, accentuating the colors to make them almost glow. Nami set down the bracelet to pull the necklace around her neck and fumble with the clasp at the back; though she had put on plenty of necklaces in her life, for some reason today she seemed to struggle. She stuck out her tongue in annoyance as her fingers just couldn't seem to open the clasp wide enough to secure the damned thing. Suddenly, she felt someone's nimble fingers brush aside her own to take the necklace and quite easily do what she could not. As the necklace fell about her chest, she turned around to see who had helped her.

"Oh! Thank you, Sanji." Of course he would notice her plight from afar. He was crouched down next to her again. He gave her a cheesy grin before gesturing to the bracelet.

"Would you like me to help you with that, too?" When Nami shook her head, he knit his blond eyebrows together in slight concern, thinking that she was just being prideful. They shot up his forehead though when she picked it up and held it out to him expectantly.

"It's for you!" His face turned the color of the burning red sunset. He did not moving except to look at the bracelet, then her, then back at the shell jewelry. "It's a thank-you for all the little things you do for me, Sanji." He swallowed thickly and ran a shaky hand through his blonde hair. Nami could tell that he was absolutely overjoyed, so much so that he couldn't even direct his energy into squealing and wriggling about like he normally did. This made Nami exceptionally happy, because that just showed that he truly appreciated her little gift. With a happy smile, she picked up his hand to make his wrist available to her. He obediently left it hanging in open air so she could slip the bracelet on and secure the clasp, then turned it so the piece of the sand dollar was facing up. "Do you like it?" she asked, suddenly worried that she was misjudging his reaction. After all, Sanji wasn't exactly the jewelry-wearing type.

"Of course, Nami! It's exquisite!" Her doubt finally seemed to spark his brain into working again. A serene smile graced his lips as he admired it happily. "You worked so hard making it for me. How could I not like it?" He turned his wrist a little, watching as the bracelet shifted on his arm. "I'll wear it proudly, forever! It'll always remind me of my wonderful Nami-swan!" he grinned cheekily. Nami laughed lightly, and as she opened her eyes to smile at him, it came to her attention the way the light was playing over him. With his back to the setting sun, he was framed in shadows, perfectly accentuating the stark line of his jaw and his broad shoulders and his toned muscles bared by his muscle tee and swim trunks. His golden hair seemed to soak up the dwindling sunlight like an eager, selfish sponge, giving it an almost halo-like glow that directly contrasted those dark accents. Nami found a heat rising to her cheeks as the first thing that popped into her mind was _handsome_. Of course she knew that Sanji was a good-looking guy; girls wouldn't fawn over him like they did if he wasn't, but it was the first time that she had truly _realized_ it. As he noticed her staring, the grin fell off his face to be replaced by a quizzical look. "What is it, Nami?"

"Sanji… Really, thank you for everything you do," she murmured. Her expression was blank, unsure just quite what she was feeling, but her voice was thick with some sort of emotion. He blinked at her, unsure how to react to her strange behavior. Nami stared at him a moment, chewing on her lip as she pondered her next move, before she willed her body closer to him. She saw him stiffen as she slid across the sand until their shoulders were just brushing. Nami could smell the scent of sea salt and coconut milk mingling with her own natural tangerine scent as her head rested in the area just above his shoulder. Sanji had a scared yet exhilarated look on his face as he watched her, unmoving. Nami tilted her head downwards to flutter her lashes at him, making a haze of pink graze his cheeks, before she craned it to the side a little so her lips could meet their target- just at the corner of his mouth, not quite his lips but teasingly close. She pressed her mouth there for a moment, then pulled back a few millimeters to breath huskily, "I sure hope you wear it forever, because I want all the girls to know you're mine." Nami had never thought of being jealous over Sanji, but in that moment, she sure as hell was. Sanji had always insisted on calling her his, and all of a sudden, Nami had the overwhelming desire to return the sentiment, after all that time.

"O-okay," Sanji exhaled sharply in response. The color of his cheeks mimicked the skin of a ripe apple now. The tips of his fingers were trembling lightly as he once again compulsively ran his hands through his hair, lightly curled and crimped from a day in the sand and sea. Nami's nut-brown eyes met his one of cloudy grey-blue, watching carefully, waiting for him to react. He blinked, and his eye flooded with warm admiration and dare she say, _love_. "Of course, Nami-swan," he purred while a hand reached up to softly caress her cheek. "I'm all yours."

"I mean it," she warned with a stern look. She was not stupid enough to think that Sanji's flirtatious behavior would disappear. His shoulders shook as he chuckled warmly.

"I mean it, too!" he reassured her. His hand slipped from her cheek back into her short waves of tangerine-colored hair, while the hand adorned with the bracelet rose to trace a line over the matching necklace hung at her neck; it ran down the string of shells to linger at the piece of sand dollar, which was situated right over her heart. "I love you, Nami," he breathed with so much want and need that it made Nami's heart constrict. It was painfully apparent that he had meant it, and had for a very long time, and Nami had spent so long writing off his affections.

Well, she was going to spend the rest of her life making up with that, that was for damn sure.

"I love you, Sanji," she whispered back. This time, she kissed him fully on the lips. He instantly melted against her as their mouths met in a sweet, emotionally charged kiss, simply pressing together and savoring the feeling off it. His hand dropped down from the necklace to curl around hers, holding it in a tight embrace. Even with her eyes closed, Nami could feel the warmth of the sun rapidly fading as the horizon swallowed the sun, but it was all right; spreading outward from her pounding heart was a gentle pulsing heat that filled every fiber of her being, leaving her humming with warm, fuzzy energy. At the moment Sanji pulled away, the sun bid the earth farewell, falling under the curtain of night and glittering stars. Even without the sun's golden hue, Sanji still looked beautiful, as his blonde hair was dyed silver by the cool light of the celestial bodies above. They stared at each other lovingly, quite content to just do so, until a polite, awkward cough made them both spin around with alarmed expressions.

"Sorry to interrupt a touching moment, but Luffy is having a meltdown about dinner," Robin smiled in slightly amusement before gesturing to said rubbery pirate. From across the thin line of sand, Nami could hear Luffy's angry wails to the sky echoing in the emptiness, demanding meat right that instant. Sanji ground his teeth and muttered under his breath while he stood up and stomped over to grab Luffy by his rubbery neck and proceed to throttle him all while yelling at him for being impatient and ungrateful, while Nami watched with a mixture of defeat and amusement. "So, you and Sanji finally got together, huh?" Robin asked with a coy, playful smirk that made Nami flush. Of course it wouldn't escape the rest of the crew's attention that they were practically making out on the beach.

"Heh… Yeah. He finally managed to reel me in, I guess," she chuckled softly as her eyes drifted back to the cook. She caught the glint of the seashells against the dark backdrop of the sea at night and smiled wider, tracing her own jewelry with a finger.

_I'm all yours, too, Sanji. _


	40. Homecoming

Category: Mild Romantic Fluff, Family Fluff

Characters: Trafalgar Law, Nami, Nojiko, Ginzo

The brush made soft swishing sounds as Nami meticulously combed it through her long, tangerine locks. Over and over again, she drew the grooming tool through the strands which had long since been pried free of knots. Nami was not usually so compulsive about her hair, but today she had to find a way to channel her abundance of nervous energy, and somehow repeatedly brushing her hair alleviated dome of that pent-up, toxic tension. After a while, her hand stopped moving to hover halfway down her stream of orange tresses, while her nut-brown eyes absorbed her anxious reflection.

Today, she was returning to Cocoyashi Village after several long years at sea, with her boyfriend Trafalgar Law, no less. That situation was stressful enough to drive anyone crazy. With a weary sigh, she set the brush down on the nightstand. Luffy and the other members who had been there to see the takedown of Arlong had been very insistent on returning to Cocoyashi as well, and the others were just as excited to see Nami's home and meet her sister, so Law had moored the Polar Tang to the Thousand Sunny so they could travel together. His crew was just as excited to learn more about Nami's homeland, considering she had essentially become part of their family from dating Law for so long. They had all agreed to give Law and Nami one day alone on the island by themselves to spend time as a couple getting to know Nami's family and friends, but after that, they were going to be let loose on the island and there was going to be a raucous party for sure. Honestly, the time alone part is what was making Nami a nervous wreck.

Nami and Law had begun seeing each other shortly after the business in Dressrosa. There was just something magnetic that had drawn her to him; she had seen past the foul attitude and dangerous look to find a man who was both kind and passionate (though he tried so desperately to uphold his reputation as the disreputable Surgeon of Death, Nami really had him wrapped around her little finger at this point). Their relationship was quite something. One wouldn't be able to tell they were even dating without knowing them well, because ninety percent of their interaction was sharp jibes and snarky quips at the other's expense. It wasn't until they started getting handsy with each other that it clicked in people's heads. The beginning of their relationship had certainly been interesting, a cat-and-mouse chase that Nami had quite enjoyed playing. Nami smirked at herself in the vanity mirror as she recalled it. Such things were really quite so far in the past. Now, Luffy was Pirate King and the World Government had been effectively dismantled into a more fair, democratic order. Even though all that had occurred just a few months ago, Nami felt like it was a life age away, after sailing for several months with nothing short of peaceful bliss.

Her gaze slid to the reflection of the door as someone knocked lightly on it, then entered. It was Law, dressed in his usual gothic garb that accentuated his dark skin and roguish appearance, with his trusty sword propped on his shoulder. Even now that things were different, he still insisted on carrying the thing around. Nami supposed it was just habit, and also a fair bit comforting. Law was still a very guarded person, even around Nami sometimes, though they had been together for so long.

"We just spotted the island. We should be docking shortly." Seeing the nervous look that appeared on her features, Law crossed the room to reassure slide a hand to her back, gently massaging her at the tense point between her shoulder blades. She felt the apprehension melt into relief simply at his touch; he just had such a way of relieving her anxieties, even if for only a moment. "There's nothing to worry about. It will go fine." Law would never be caught dead being so soft and gentle around others, but when they were alone, he often had sweet things to say. Nami turned in the chair to face him properly, and his hand migrating with her body to remain resting on her shoulder. As she leaned into his arm, it slipped upward to cup his cheek, and she responded by placing her own hand over it. Her fingers absently traced the black ink marking his skin; she knew the patterns by memory now.

"I know. I just want them to love you as much as I do."

"How can they not? I mean, it's _me_ we're talking about." _Of all the self-centered, egotistical… _Nami began to think with a shake of her head. That damn self-confident smirk was plastered on his lips, the one she had seen so many times before and the one she just couldn't help but absolutely adore. Smiling demurely, she rose from the little cushioned chair of her vanity to lean up and press a soft kiss to his lips. It was just a small one, a mere taste of what she had to offer, and she definitely left Law wanting more because his face chased hers as she retreated. Giggling, she cupped a hand over his mouth with a teasing wink.

"Ah-ah, later. Let's take care of the task at hand first, and then you can kiss on me all you want," she tutted before walking towards the door, taking extra care to swing her hips seductively as she did.

"Oh, you _minx,_" she heard him growl after her. She chuckled under her breath; just because they were a true item didn't mean that Nami had abandoned her teasing of him. If anything, it was far worse. "I'll get you later, Nami…" he promised darkly before following her out onto the deck of the Thousand Sunny. He had dropped the honorific for her after a while, honoring her by simply calling her by her name. It was just one of the many little things that reminded her that she was his, utterly and completely… Just like he was hers.

In the course of their little exchange, the Sunny had almost fully approached the island; Zoro standing by the balustrade of the ship with one leg propped up and the mooring rope in his hand, ready to hop down and secure the boat to the docks. As she walked out onto the green lawn of the main deck, Luffy abandoned his perch at the figurehead to dash to her side and wind his rubbery arms several times around her hips.

"Nami! Please make sure to bring back yummy food from Nojiko! Please, please, _please_! Oh, and say hi to old Pinwheel Gramps for me! Be sure!" he chattered incessantly in her ear while propping her head on her shoulder to look at her for big, pleading eyes. Becoming Pirate King hadn't changed Luffy in the slightest; it was a wonder such a childish, demanding man had toppled entire governments and become the most famous, fearsome pirate to ever live. He still had zero concept of personal space, too, even though he knew very well she was dating Law and the former Warlord did _not_ take well to people being too familiar with her, even her own crew.

"Oi. Straw Hat-ya. Don't be a pest," he scowled as he shoved his sword in the space between Luffy's arms and Nami's body to forcibly pry him off. All he really succeeded in doing was making Luffy stretch more, but the Straw Hat Captain got the gist well enough. Sticking his tongue out at him, he retracted his arms to cross the haughtily at his chest.

"You're so mean, Trafalguy, not letting me give Nami hugs anymore…" he muttered under his breath and promptly sat down where he stood, like a monk in protest. Although Luffy was far from holy. He was more like an unholy mongrel demon than anything. Law responded by pulling Nami against him by gripping her waist instead. Nami found his jealous streak amusing and responded by snuggling her face into the crook of his neck.

"Don't be so grumpy, Law. He just likes being affectionate, that's all."

"Well, he can go be affectionate with someone else," he muttered back into her tangerine hair. Nami just giggled again while tracing the pattern of his back tattoos over his coat absentmindedly. When the Sunny docked and it was time to depart, she joyously chorused her goodbyes to everyone, promising to tell them all about her day upon their return to the ship, before she and Law descended the ladder to land on the small wooden dock that belonged to Cocoyashi Village. There was no one manning the dock at that time, given that they never had many visitors, but the large ship as well as the Jolly Roger painted upon its sail had attracted the nearby village occupants. A large crowd of them hovered at the edge of the dock, and front-and-center was a scarred old face that Nami had not seen in a long, long time.

"Ginzo!" Nami gasped as soon as she clapped eyes on him. Tears immediately welled up in her eyes, and she didn't even bother wiping them away as she sprinted full-speed at the man. He received her with open arms and a bellowing laugh as she slammed into him, knocking him full onto his behind and squeezing him in a crushing hug as if her life depended on it. "Ginzo! I missed you so much!" she sobbed into his shoulder while he patted her head soothingly.

"Nami, my dear! How you've grown! You've grown out your hair… and gotten so tall! My, you're a beautiful woman now!" his fatherly voice rumbled in her ear, thick with emotion. They held each other for several minutes before Nami's sobs of joy quieted into little sniffles, and she pulled back, wiping at her tearful eyes with the heels of her palms. He swept a swathe of her orange hair out of her face, smiling warmly at her while thin trails of tears rolled down his rough, scarred cheeks. "If only Bellemere could see you now… She would be so proud of you," he sighed gently while continuing to rub her head. Choked up, all Nami could do was nod. The entire time, Law had just been hanging back letting her enjoy her family reunion. Suddenly remembering what she was actually there to do, she jumped to her feet, pulling up Ginzo before turning around to wave Law over.

"Ginzo! Everyone! There's someone special I want you to meet," she told them. Law looked mildly uncomfortable as he walked over. Nami let go of Ginzo to scamper over to him and wrap her arms around the thick muscle of his bicep and lean her head against his shoulder. "This is my boyfriend, Trafalgar Law~" she chirped brightly.

The shocked silence was simply deafening. Nami blinked in confusion, having expected happy cries or shouts of congratulation. Ginzo wasn't even trying to hide his reaction; he was staring open-mouthed at Law, who just had his head tilted slightly upward in a cold, prideful stare. _Well… It is Law, after all… He never was the type you would bring home to your mother, _she reasoned with a slight face of pity for her family. After a few seconds of stunned silence, the people managed to roust themselves and began to cheer excitedly for her.

"Good for you, Nami!"

"Our Nami is all grown up, bringing a man home…"

"What a very handsome man." Ginzo, meanwhile, was not smiling but scowling proudly and rolling up his sleeves.

"Now listen here, youngster! You may have won Nami over, but just remember that if you break her heart, you have a whole village to contend with!" he scolded sternly. Law's mouth twitched upwards into an amused smirk, and Nami just knew that the snide remark was dancing on his tongue. Pouting, she tugged at the ends of his dark hair to make him look at her out of the corners of his eyes. The golden irises rolled nearly into the back of his head when she mouthed, "Be nice," but he nodded in obedience.

"Of course. I'm very serious about Nami. I intend to take good care of her," he answered through clenched teeth. She was definitely going to have to pay for making him humble himself in front of her father figure, but that was all right. More than anything, she wanted Ginzo and Nojiko to see the man who loved her with every fiber of his being, not just some tattooed scoundrel who had seduced Nami with ill intent. Ginzo seemed satisfied enough, crossing his arms while nodded his head with an accomplished smile. It was then that Nami realized that her sister was not among the crowd.

"Ginzo? Where's Nojiko?"

"Eh? Oh, she hasn't come to town today. She must be at your house."

"Great! Law and I are going to head straight there. See you all later, okay?" Nami beamed and tugged on her boyfriend's arm. The crowd parted as she barreled past them, although she wasn't sure if it was because they wanted to keep a respectable distance from Law or because they had not forgotten Nami's pick-pocketing ways. Either way, they were able to quickly move through the village because of it. She was highly aware of Ginzo's piercing stare burning into their backs. She was sure that he would be at the house in no time at all, eager to interrogate Law further, which was fine. As they neared the edge of the village, Nami settled for holding Law's hand rather than hanging on his arm. She absently laced their fingers as they fell into an even pace, his long stride matching hers to keep from overtaking her. "I think Ginzo likes you!" she smiled widely at him.

"You're kidding. He looked like I absconded with you like some thieving heathen."

"He did noooooot," she frowned, but she knew it was kind of true. Ginzo didn't look happy at all. She heaved a heavy sigh and tottered sideways a little so their arms rubbed together as she walked. "I honestly don't know what I was expecting… Ginzo's very protective of me. It wouldn't have mattered if I had brought home the chivalrous prince of some foreign country; he'd still be acting like this." She wasn't sure if that relieved or saddened her. Nami would've thought that Ginzo would trust her to know what she was doing, considering she wasn't a child anymore. Her bottom lip poked out in a dismal pout and she looked up at Law pitifully, all but begging for reassurance. He looked at her with those sharp golden eyes for a moment before sighing and agreeing to do so, closing his eyes to bonk their heads together.

"It's fine. He doesn't bother me one bit. Anybody would react that way to his daughter bringing home a man," he shrugged, then looked at her pointedly. "But I'm not gonna pander for his good graces. He's either gonna like me or he's not; I ain't gonna put on a sappy act for him." Despite his stern rebuke, Nami found herself smiling.

"All right, all right. I do want them to like you for _you_, after all," she conceded.

They had walked quite a long ways during their conversation, and the territory was exceptionally familiar to Nami despite not being there for several years. A shiver suddenly traveled up her spine, and she knew exactly why. Stopping in her tracks in the middle of the road, she squeezed Law's hand tightly as the scars on the back of her shoulder began to burn like the day she had first inflicted the wounds upon herself. They had come to a junction in the road, and the path leading west led to her nightmares. Law frowned at her, then instinctively looked down the trailing path, beholding in the distance the very faint outline of a collapsed gate.

"Does that lead to…?" He didn't utter the name aloud, but the implication of his quiet question was still enough to make Nami's breath hitch in her throat. It had been so long, but her tortuous life under Arlong had never truly left her. Every once in a blue moon the nightmares would seize her and she would awake screaming in the night, drenched head-to-toe in sweat with her hands burning with the ghost of skin torn raw from unrelenting hours at the desk drawing maps. Sometimes she was that scared little girl watching as Bellemere was shot in the head, or Nojiko or Ginzo had their throats ripped out by his sharp jaws… Other times she was forced to watch as her crewmates were torn limb-from-limb and she was near-drowned in their hot red blood as punishment for leaving. More recently, Law had been the centerpiece of her grotesque night terrors, Arlong's sharp claws tearing his beating heart right out of his chest while Nami watched, sobbing…

Standing on the earth that had been Arlong's territory for so long brought the visions fleeting before her waking eyes, every one of them, both reality and horrid fantasy. With a strangled groan as her unseeing eyes stared straight ahead, she melted down to the ground, but still kept a strong grip on Law's hand as she fell. "Hey! Nami!" he cried in alarm and crouched down next to her. "Nami… It's okay," he murmured soothingly and pushed a strand of her hair behind her ear to lay a hand on her clammy cheek. At his call and his touch, she was drawn back to reality. The pristine landscape of Cocoyashi Village replaced the laughing visage of the Fishman. Trembling, she turned to look at him with weary, hazy eyes. "He'll never hurt you again." He always told her that when she awoke writhing beside him. Like always, he took her into his arms in a tight, firm hug, and Nami buried her face right in the center of the inked heart on his chest, inhaling sharply as the nightmare receded to the back of her mind. She sat there for a minute, becoming calm in his gentle embrace, before uttering, "I'm okay now." He pulled back to look at her questioningly, ensuring she really was all right and not putting on a brave face, and she smiled gently at him. He then nodded and stood up, helping her back to her feet. She had known that this experience would be a whirlwind of emotions, but jeez, she was already exhausted and she hadn't even made it home yet.

"Let's go."

* * *

The familiar scent of citrus danced on the wind as Nami's humble home came into view. The tangerine orchard was doing splendidly under Nojiko's care. It was not yet time for the trees to bear fruit, but it was approaching very soon, as the trees were smothered with thousands of little white blossoms that put the aromatic tint in the air. They had already begun to fall, littering the ground in a shower of shed petals that energetically leapt about at the slightest breeze, rolling across the green grass. Breathing in the scent made Nami feel instantly at ease. _I'm home at long last, Bellemere… _she thought with a soft smile.

"_Nami_?" at the surprised call, Nami turned to see Nojiko emerging from the grove of trees, bearing an empty watering can and a dumfounded smile. Nami beamed and waved happily at her adopted sister, who couldn't decided whether she wanted to gawk at her grown-up baby sister or the man holding her hand. Nojiko hadn't changed much in the years, only adding a bit more blue ink to her body and growing a tad bit taller. Her hairstyle remained the same, unlike Nami's, which now cascaded down her back to swish around her waist. Nojiko set down the watering can to run over, and Nami released Law's hand to envelop her sister in a hug. "Oh, it is you! It's been so long. You have to tell me everything- especially who this is hanging on your arm!" she gasped when she pulled back to look at Law. She looked him up and down, lips pursed as she sized him up.

"My name is Trafalgar Law."

"Mhmm. I'm Nojiko, the disapproving older sister. How do you do?" she clicked her tongue and held out her hand to shake. Nami thought Law wouldn't take such sass well, but she found that he was completely amused, shaking Nojiko's hand with a smirk of pure confidence and challenge. Nami nibbled on her nails a bit as Nojiko flashed him a purely sadistic smile. _I thought ginzo was bad! Nojiko is gonna murder him before the end of the day! Ugh, what am I gonna do? _

"So? How did you meet Nami?"

"I entered an alliance with her captain." Thankfully, Law left out the damning bits, like switching her and Sanji's bodies.

"Uh-huh," Nojiko frowned suspiciously. She had her fists dug into her hips as she stood on her tip-toes to glare into his face. "You look like a thug."

"Nojikooooo!" Nami whined pleadingly and pulled on her arm. "Law is very good to me! We've been together for a long time now! Please, just give him a chance! For me…" Nojiko pursed her lips as she side-eyed her, then sighed and fell back onto the flats of her feet.

"All right, fine. But _one_ wrong move, buster, and I'm kicking you out! I don't care how big and tough you are! This is _my_ house and _my_ sister, and so I decide what goes on and what doesn't! _Capiche_?" she growled with her finger jabbing into his chest with every word. Law watched her with every motion, the very embodiment of a bristling lion, only betrayed by the amused smirk on his lip. As Nojiko whirled around to stomp into the house, shouting about cooking dinner and Law was gonna like it, he tossed her a rare smile.

"She's just like you."

"No wonder you're being so obedient. If someone else yelled at you like that, you would've dismembered them by now," Nami sighed as her shoulders sagged. God, she was exhausted and it wasn't even noon. Law chuckled under his breath and wrapped an arm around Nami's shoulders.

"It's fine."

"What happened to not taking shit from nobody?"

"Well, that's hardly a way to get your family to like me, now is it? And besides, I actually find it very amusing that they're willing to be so defiant in the face of the Surgeon of Death. So much more interesting than people shaking in their boots," he answered. Nami was floored; she had thought he was faking it, but he really was in a good mood! _I don't know whether to be scared or reassured, _she thought as she reached up to ghost her fingers across Law's hand that was hanging lazily from her shoulder. Together, they walked into the house to join Nojiko, who had broken out pots and pans to cook a traditional Bellemere dish, with signature tangerine sauce.

* * *

Ginzo joined them after a short while, as Nami had expected, and they took turns interrogating Law in a feeble attempt to find _something_ that they could use as an excuse to bar him from dating Nami. The navigator was on pins and needles the entire time, mortified that her family was making such a fool of themselves over her. Law just played right along, though, ignoring all the venom to placate the two with honeyed words belying a thinly veiled challenge. He made his claim on Nami very clear, his arm wrapped around her the entire of the afternoon and evening, all while playing the perfectly devoted and chivalrous boyfriend. He didn't lie about anything, though, but just managed to spin it all in his favor. He truly was a dastardly cunning individual. It really warmed Nami how much effort he was putting into getting the two to admit defeat and like him, though she knew it sickened him to no end to have to play such a game instead of going feral and _making _them like him. It was overwhelmingly successful, though.

"I give up," Nojiko sighed to her as she walked up behind Nami as she was doing dishes. Ginzo was sitting at the table, having admitted defeat quite a while ago and now laughing raucously at some snarky quip Law had uttered. "He's rough and uncouth and definitely thuggy-looking, but he loves you to no end, doesn't he?" the blue-haired woman smiled bitterly as she leaned against the counter.

"He really does," she said as she looked over her shoulder at him. Law wasn't paying attention, too engrossed in conversation with Ginzo. "I can't imagine life without him," she murmured, her hands stilling in the soapy water as she just watched him. She really couldn't. One day, she wanted to settle down with him here in Cocoyashi, growing her mother's tangerines and maybe raising a few children of their own here… Such conversations were yet to be had, however. Law and Nami still had plenty of adventure to burn from their system before that. Nojiko chuckled and procured a basket of tangerine muffins, setting them on the kitchen counter before nudging Nami with her shoulder.

"Go see Bellemere, and then hurry on back to the ship. I'm sure Luffy and the others are chomping at the bits waiting." Nami nodded in agreement as she pulled her hands from the water to dry them on a dish towel. "Hey," she added, catching Nami's arm to hold her back as she went to rejoin Law, "and be sure to come home soon… The both of you. There's always a place here for you."

"Thank you, Nojiko." The two girls hugged for a few minutes before Nami finally willed herself to pull away. She took the basket of muffins to walk over to the table. Law had noticed her intention to leave and had risen, politely bidding Ginzo farewell before walking over to circle her waist with his arms.

"Ready to go?"

"Mhmm. I just want to stop by Bellemere's grave first."

"Come back, you young'uns, you hear?" Ginzo demanded from his seat at the table, his face scrunched up as he tried not to cry. Nami walked around the table to give him a loving peck on the cheek, which sent him over the edge; grumbling, he pulled his hat down over his face, but couldn't hide the few tears that spilled from his eyes.

"We will, Ginzo. We'll be here for a week. You'll be sick of us soon!" she laughed before exiting the house. Despite the fact that it had turned out well, Nami still couldn't help but exhale deeply and place a hand over her heart as soon as the door shut behind them. "Phew! That was so stressful."

"For you? I did most of the hard work!" he whined, nudging her in the ribs with his elbow. Nami squirmed at the tickling sensation, swinging the basket around as she wriggled away from him a few paces. He snorted and began walking, but slowed his pace as she scurried to fall back in step with him. Sighing again, she laid her head on his shoulder as they walked under the moonlight.

"Thank you, Law, for trying so hard. It made it so much easier for me… I was really scared that they wouldn't approve of you. That would make this so much harder…"

"I know," he sighed in reply, bumping his head with hers before straightening up again. "I thought it would be annoying, but honestly, I wanted them to like me too."

"Really? I wouldn't think you would care about things like that."

"Of course I do. I'm not heartless."

"Right, you just steal other people's hearts and make _them_ heartless."

"I stole yours," he purred and ducked his head down to run his nose through her hair, making her giggle.

"Mhmm. You sure did, Dr. Heartstealer," she laughed, then looked up at him with a small, happy smile. "… But really, it makes me glad that you take those things seriously." He just hummed slightly in response, his hand tracing patterns into her arm. By that time they had arrived at the cleft overlooking the glittering sea where Bellemere had been buried. Law was quiet as they approached the small cross of wood, and Nami detached herself from him to sit down on her knees and place one of the little muffins at her gravesite. She noticed a recent addition, a spinning pinwheel; Ginzo must've left it there upon her leaving, signaling her coming-of-age. It made her smile.

_Bellemere… I've finally come home. I've seen and done so much, thanks to Luffy and the others… And you. You were always with me, Bellemere, giving me the strength to move forward. I've even managed to fall in love, too. I wish you could meet him, Bellemere. The two of you would probably butt heads, actually. He's stubborn, like me… and like you. He's got his quirks, but he really is a wonderful man who treats me well. You don't have anything to worry about, Bellemere. Nothing at all. _

After her silent conversation with her mother, Nami sat there a moment, listening to the sloshing of the waves far below and looking up at the starry night sky where Bellemere was smiling down upon her, before rising to her feet. She turned around to see that Law had crouched down, staring intently at the grave. She didn't ask what he said to Bellemere. Such things were to be private, known only to the person and the spirit being spoken to. She waited patiently for him to finish and stand up. He walked over to her, circling her waist with an arm to pull him up against her and drop a kiss into her tangerine hair.

"I love you, Nami, you know that?" It was rare for him to be so blatantly romantic, meaning that conversing with Bellemere had really struck him in some way. Nami was exceptionally moved by that.

"Mhmm. I love you, too," she murmured into his shoulder, hugging him with her free arm while the basket of muffins hung at her side. Law held her for a moment, but only so; he wasn't the sappy type, even under all the pretenses. He pulled back, settling for just keeping his arm around her shoulders.

"All right. We should get back. I can practically hear Straw Hat screaming from here."

"You really do bust his balls a lot, you know?" she laughed as they began walking back down the path. The basket swung in her hand as they tromped down the hill.

"If he wasn't such an idiot, I wouldn't feel so compelled to," he grimaced.

"I think it's because you really like him but don't want to admit it," she teased, sticking out her tongue at him. He cocked a dark eyebrow at her.

"Absolutely not. He's just so damn clingy. Even if I ran away, he'd find me. There's no escaping him."

"Well, that's pretty true. Luffy would track you down!" she laughed.

"I guess it's not all bad," he purred suddenly, seductively sliding his hand down to nestle in the small of her back. "I did gain something out of the deal, after all- his sexy little redhead navigator." Law was no longer sweet but purely saucy, returning to his old self. Nami could feel the payback already, with the way he was teasingly rubbing circles into the sensitive skin of her lower back. "And she's gonna pay for teasing me this morning, with interest for that little performance I had to put on tonight," he rumbled in her ear, followed by a playful nip. Nami felt heat flare in her belly at the overtly instigative action, and she arched her back a little, his touch suddenly making her very hot.

"Oh, you _are_ a devil," she huffed as she eyed him out of the corners of her eyes. His golden irises were pulsing with a smoldering heat. Nami was suddenly very aware that they probably wouldn't make it to the ship for quite a while yet, because she knew that look _very _well…

_Well, Bellemere… Maybe you have a good reason to worry after all, _she thought coyly as she snuggled into Law, silently begging him to continue his inciting ministrations. _I certainly have to be at the top of my game to contend with Dr. Heartstealer here. I can't let him completely get the upper hand, now can I? _she thought roguishly as she suddenly pushed him hard in the chest to knock him over. "I never pay back, let alone with interest! You're gonna have to catch me!" she laughed as she took off running down the path, clutching the basket of muffins to her chest so its swinging would not decrease her speed. She heard his curses faintly over the rushing of the wind in her ears and her own snickering.

_But don't worry, really, because I give him plenty of hell! He's gotta __**earn**__ a girl like me, after all! _


	41. I Know

Category: Mild Romantic Fluff

Characters: Monkey D. Luffy, Nami

Requested By: deliathedork (Tumblr)

_**Alternatum to On My Heart and Soul **_

Nami tried to keep the sliding door from rattling too loudly as she slowly eased it open, all the while stealing glances at her sleeping companions sprawled out in a mess of tangled blankets and askew pillows snoring peacefully. Despite it being the night before a war that would literally decide the fate of a country, they were surprisingly unperturbed; well, that was just par for the course. The Straw Hats always had been a positive bunch, especially their boisterous, bull-headed captain. As she sat on her knees in front of the now ajar door, her soft brown eyes drifted to him for a brief moment. As always, he was sleeping with his limbs splayed out as if he had fallen from a great height, and his mouth was wide open as he breathed heavily, drool pooling beside his face from where it was leaking from the side of his mouth. Nami stifled a giggle. One would never know that he had toppled governments or gone toe-to-toe with senior members of the Navy or dethroned Warlords!

However, this time, they were contending with an Emperor… And that made Nami so anxious that she couldn't sleep. Hence why she was sneaking out in the middle of the night on the eve of a momentous battle for a little fresh air.

The atmosphere was cool as she stole out of the little hut that served as their overnight base out into the night. Drawing in a breath of the comfortably chill air, letting it fill her lungs and drive her worries away, she put a hand above her eyes as she cast her gaze up to the night sky to shield it from the fluorescence of the brilliant moon. Nami always felt most at ease beneath the blanket of glittering stars. It was an odd contradiction, since most people thought her most comfortable with the sea considering she was a navigator, but Nami didn't think so; to her, the sky was just another sea in itself, stretching along the world line with the stars serving as little boats dotting the inky expanse of midnight blue. Whenever she was stressed or worried, she would look up and be reminded that her worries were really small and insignificant in the grand scheme of it all.

The hem of her kimono soaked up nighttime dew as she traversed the small distance down the dirt path to a sizeable, flat-topped rock perfect for stargazing. She settled herself upon it with a barely audible sigh. Nami felt as if she did all the worrying for the entire crew with the frequent weights that landed upon her shoulders; she knew that they were all strong and capable, but she couldn't help it. Things didn't always go the way they wanted (hell, they almost _never_ went according to plan), and there was always the possibility of failure. The doubt chittered at the back of her mind, gnawing away little by little at her confidence until she was laid bare beneath the bright moon, nothing but a ball of insecurities and concerns. It was almost ritualistic.

"I just don't want it to end here," she whispered to the stars above. She nearly always uttered that each time this scene greeted her. That's what Nami wanted more than anything, more than gold or danger or a map of the world… Endless days upon the boundless oceans, sailing off into the horizon with naught but a whim and a dream. She was not a fool; she knew that all things had an end, but nevertheless, she wished for it all the same.

"Nami?" She whirled around with a gasp, not having expected to be greeted during her nightly introspection- least of all by her sleepy captain, eyeing her suspiciously as he sleepily rubbed his eyes. "What're you doing up so late? We got big plans tomorrow, y'know."

"I just can't sleep. I'm sorry if I woke you," she responded simply, still attempting to get over the shock of seeing him up when he had been passed out only a few minutes ago. He shrugged and she expected him to totter off back to bed seeing as she was quite all right, but instead he marched up the small path to literally push into her so he could worm his way onto the rock beside her. She snorted and rolled her eyes, but it was a blatantly Luffy thing to do, so it wasn't like she was fully offended. He raised a hand to his mouth as he yawned loudly before blinking at her tiredly.

"Why can'tcha sleep? Are you worried about tomorrow?" Luffy hit the nail on the head so effortlessly that it was almost painful, like he was literally hammering the sharp point into her heart. With an uncomfortable look, she squirmed a little on the rock before nodding slightly. She looked down at her toes, just barely peeking out from beneath her long kimono.

"I know everyone is strong, but… Sometimes I just can't help but think about what'll happen if something goes wrong. I know everything happens for a reason, but-"

"_Shishishishi_! Sure does!" He cackled as he crossed his arms at his chest and threw back his head in raucous giggles. "I mean, if I hadn't been thrown in prison, I wouldn't've been able to learn that really cool technique from old Gramps! Oh, and Eustass Kidd's here, too! We're gonna get in an alliance, even if he doesn't know it yet. He's an asshole but I think he's kinda funny!" he snickered to himself. Nami smiled in bemusement as he completely de-railed her melancholy confession. It was so like Luffy that it was heartwarming and admittedly liberating. She knew that it was his own special way of reassuring her. He stopped laughing with a long sigh, then turned glittering, serious black eyes on her. The pure confident in his wide smile was a phenomenon she had witnessed many, many times yet never ceased to amaze her or fill her with courage. She smiled softly at him, then blinked as he abruptly pulled his hat off his head to plop it down on hers. Her eyes were momentarily covered by the wide brim, but when she lifted it up, she found that his expression had turned deadly serious. "Nami, I'm gonna be King of the Pirates."

"I know, Luffy."

"So that means I ain't dyin' here, and I'm not lettin' any of my crew die, either, 'cuz they all have to be there with me when it happens." At his very adamant proclamation, Nami found more peace welling up in her body than the sea or stars had ever given her. Why had she ever been worried in the first place? No matter what, Luffy was going to triumph… because he had an amazing, capable, loyal crew pushing him forward at every moment. Nami tipped the hat back over her tresses of tangerine hair so that she could lean down and nestle her head into his shoulder.

"I know, Luffy…" she repeated softly. She felt his hand rest against her middle back, fingers absently twisting around her wavy orange curls, and he bumped her head against hers, making the straw hat shift oddly to the side. She didn't really mind; she found herself gazing at his gentle smile, which seemed to be all the more radiant than the flickering stars and shining moon that she was accustomed too. Her Luffy, who had been with her through hell and high water… His black eyes melded with her rich brown was in a prolonged stare that bubbled with rising heat like water boiling on a stove, gradually approaching a tumultuous boiling-over that spilled everything onto the surface… Nami had never considered up until that moment that she could possibly be in love with him, but as his face hovered impossibly close to hers and their hair mingled in a patchwork array as he pressed his head further into hers and his eyes seemed to reach down and touch her quivering soul… She considered it then, and she confirmed it then. "Luffy…" she whispered, her voice raw and cracked with emotion, and her fingers rose to run just under the scar decorating the space beneath his left eye. His face grew blank, likely wondering what she was doing, until faintly happy realization dawned on his features with a tiny snicker.

There was no need to say anything, and besides, Luffy had always been a man of action over words.

Nami's eyes drifted shut as his face settled over her own to deliver a light, chaste kiss onto her lips. His hands twisted up into her tangerine waves of hair like he was exploring a waterfall, hands moving up and down just barely brushing his fingertips over the fabric of her kimono. His other cupped her cheek, holding her head in place as he dropped kiss after kiss onto her complying mouth, then at the corner, then right at her cheekbone as a tear flooded into her eye and then rolled over the smooth skin there. When he pulled back, only just so, Nami's eyes fluttered open to peer at him beneath thick lashes. "I love you," she murmured.

"I know," he smirked at her, pleased with only a faint hint of vain smugness. The end of her mouth curled upward in a scolding smile at his seemingly dismissing way to return her affections, but she knew that's not what it was. Luffy had a Luffy way of doing everything, after all. Nami buried her head back into the junction of his shoulder and neck, breathing in deep the scent of him, sea salt spray and ocean water and… was that the faintest hint of steak? Of course. She reached up to pluck the hat from her head and settle it back onto that of its rightful bearer.

"We have to win, Luffy."

"I know." He knew, and she knew that he would deliver… because a lifetime depended on it.


	42. Peppermint Flare

Category: Romantic Fluff

Characters: Trafalgar Law, Nami

Requested By: anubislover (Tumblr)

"Brrr!" Nami shivered as a harsh wind blew across the cobblestone street, sending snow flurries swirling around her like playful fairies and tossing her tangerine hair about with curious icy fingers. Though she had donned a cotton-lined duffel coat and a set of kitted gloves, a pom-pommed hat, and a scarf, the cold seemed to wriggle right through the fabric to dot goosebumps across her skin. Puffing hot breath onto her sheathed hands to attempt to warm her chilled peripheries, she still could not help but smile at the very aesthetic atmosphere of the shopping district within their newest stopping place, a winter island. It was not nearly as hazardous or blizzard-bound as the distant Drum Kingdom, but still appreciable; the snow was piled up a foot deep on either side of the paved streets and coated all the sloped rooves of the buildings like icing layers on frosted gingerbread houses. All the glass windows were frosted at the edges accentuating the little lines of accumulated snowflakes, and some of the older constructions bore the picturesque fern-like tracings of crawling, crystalline ice. It really gave the bustling town a "winter wonderland"-esque quality that put Nami in a seasonal mood. However, she couldn't frolic too much, as there was a sheet of ice layering the cobblestone, and if she wasn't careful, she would bust her rump.

Well, fate had decided she was just going to do that anyway. Despite her careful step, her shoes slipped across the smooth, mirror-slick surface and brought her foot right out from under her. With a shrill cry as her entire body tipped backwards, she closed her eyes and braced her body for a sudden and jarring impact. Right before she expected to make impact, she felt someone catch her, keeping her suspended at a dramatic angle as if she were bent low in a sensual tango. She cracked an eye open with a small, perplexed, "eh?" to find none other than Trafalgar Law standing next to her, leaned far to the side with one arm hooked around her comparably small waist.

"Careful, Nami-ya," came his purring voice as he smirked down at her. A faint haze of pink dusted her cheeks at the undeniably evocative image of him leaned down over her. With a simple flourish, he pushed her back to her feet before shoving his hands into the pockets of his overcoat. She exhaled deeply as she fixed the fly-aways of her tangerine hair before giving him a grateful smile.

"Thanks, Law! Nice catch," she giggled girlishly before looking around for her companions or his crewmembers, which she would've thought would be with him. Even after the business at Wano, they were still traveling together. She cocked an eyebrow when she realized that he was wandering the city all by his lonesome. "You're by yourself?"

"Straw Hat-ya busied himself terrorizing an establishment that specializes in barbecued meat. I saw my opportunity and took it," came the smug response. Nami groaned inwardly because Luffy gorging himself at any kind of food establishment meant one of two things: either she would have to foot a massive bill with money they arguably did not possess, or he would run off because he got excited about something else entirely like the hyperactive squirrel that he was without paying the bill, and then the straw hat-wearing fool would be the talk of the town by morning and Nami would have to placate the storeowner by forcing the unapologetic boy to try and produce some sort of convincing admission of guilt. Either way would involve Nami forking out money, which she always abhorred when it could be readily avoided with a bit of self-control. Her expression must've turned weary, because Law laughed lightly at her. "You'll get wrinkles that way, Nami-ya."

"Oh, hush. I have crafted an impeccable beauty routine to handle the wrinkles and gray hairs my crew of idiots would give me otherwise," she scoffed at him while tossing her snow-sprinkled tresses of hair over her shoulder. "Anyway, if you're not doing anything, why don't you tag along with me? A lady could always use protection, and I wouldn't want to fall over again, hmm?" Nami didn't even try to hide her flirting; she batted her eyebrows endearingly at him and turned her body just so in a manner that would accentuate her curves, which were displayed even with the thick layers of clothing she was wearing. The corner of Law's mouth curled upwards into a coy, almost hungry smile that she was _very_ familiar with.

Though Nami was unsure about the Surgeon of Death at first, at this point in their alliance, Nami had become arguably fond of him. Though he was a dumbass in his own right (he wouldn't fit in with the club otherwise; after all, his entire crew was likewise filled with total clowns- loveable ones, but clowns nonetheless), he was still one of the few voices of logic amongst the shouts of tomfoolery Nami had to put up with on a daily basis. Besides, what girl didn't wonder about a dark, brooding, handsome man like him? It had only been a passing form of entertainment at first, coyly toying at him, but his teasing and sometimes suggestive responses were just so satisfying that Nami had just been so compelled to continue. At this point, if he passed a legitimate move on her, the redheaded navigator wouldn't think twice about reciprocating. With a low rumble of approval, Law stepped close to her to offer her an arm, the other lazily propping his Nodachi on his opposite shoulder. "Oh? How _gentlemanly_ of you, Law," she simpered while making a show of hooking her comparably slim arm around his. Feeling a little daring, she crossed her other arm across her chest to rest it against his bicep. "You're in an awful good mood."

"Who wouldn't be with such a sexy woman hanging off their arm?" he retorted matter-of-factly, bringing his face a little close to hers as he sneered in a playfully challenging manner. Nami lost the back-and-forth then and there as his hot breath passed over her face, turning her skin pink where it puffed over her. Kind of infuriated with herself for not being able to compete with the banter, she settled for the next best alternative- distraction.

"Let's go in here!" She all but jerked him out of the street into the revolving door, trying to keep her face turned away from him so that he would not notice the carnation color of her face and secretly hoping her reflection in the glass didn't reveal it. She pushed through the door for her feet to land on pearly-white tile; it seemed that she had randomly selected a store that specialized in women's personal care products- shower gels, lotions, shampoos and conditioners, perfumes, and the like. Her nervousness was instantly replaced by extreme curiosity and glee. It had been quite some while since Nami had pandered herself in the purchase of fragrance goods, and with the winter island leaving her skin a bit dry, she certainly fancied conducting an indulgent spa routine that night. Hardly even away of the striking man glued to her arm at the moment, she scampered over to a table of special winter-themed scents that seemed to be the island's specialties. Law only grunted in response, and whether it was out of annoyance or compliance, Nami really didn't care. Her chocolate-hued eyes pored over the selection of fragranced shea butter lotions with great interest; before she could even come close to narrowing down her choices, Law's sultry voice hummed in her ear, "Shall I choose one for you?"

She looked up at him in mild shock to find his face hovering impossibly close to hers, and wearing a coy, mischievous smile. Nami was suddenly aware of the atmosphere of the room; the women were whispering to one another while casting glances at the two of them, no doubt wishing to be Nami at the moment. They totally thought that she and Law were a couple! Something about that made her flush with mild embarrassment and accelerate her heart rate. Still, Law had instigated the game again, and now that it was financially in her favor, she be damned if she wasn't going to play.

"Oh? You want to buy lotion for me, Law~?" she inquired in a demure tone while fluttering her thick lashes. He chuckled in that deep bass voice of his that always sent Nami's nerves to singing and leaned his sword against the table so his tattooed fingers could peruse the various bottles. "Now, you know, you have to buy me the whole set of whatever you pick," she added with pursed lips. He clicked his tongue in response, his golden irises flickering to peer at her out of the corners of his eyes.

"Such a demanding woman you are," he tutted before resuming his inspection of the various wares. He suddenly plucked a red-and-white striped bottle and flipped in his hands to pop the cap open and hold it to her nose. She blinked a few times in surprise, not having expected the sudden motion. "Do you like this one?" She sniffed a little at the bottle's opening and a fresh, minty scent graced her nostrils.

"Peppermint?" It was surprisingly basic; she had expected him to pick one of the more "girlish" fragrances, such as the sugar cookie or candied apple, thinking that's what she would like… She blazed nearly as red as the bottle's adornments as the possibility that Law was choosing what _he_ would prefer her to smell like. She gulped slightly, trying to seem unperturbed at the potential revelation. "It smells lovely." Without a word, he popped the cap closed and whirled it in his hands once more.

* * *

Despite his comment, Law really did buy her the entire set- shower gel, shampoo and conditioner, and finally the shea butter lotion. Nami was once again losing the equality in their little tug-of-war, because she was on edge the entire walk to the Sunny; she clutched the bag of products to her chest as Law walked very close beside her, every so often brushing his arm against hers to send tingling electricity down to her fingers and up to the junction of her shoulder to finally sputter out at her shoulder blade. Surprisingly, however, as soon as they arrived at the ships, he just bid her a good night and walked off to where his crew was gathered at the Polar Tang gushing over their purchases for the day. Nami clutched the bag to her chest, watching him go with conflicted feelings. She wasn't sure what she had wanted to become of the entire interaction, but she found herself longing for _more_… Most of all, she simply couldn't help but wonder what the devious Dr. Heartstealer was plotting in that pretty dark head of his…

Nami was not going to waste her spa kit, and so once the sun had set and the evening had set in, she scampered off to her and Robin's shared bathroom after dinner to cater to her needs. She drew herself a nice hot bath, using a small amount of the shower gel to produce some pepperminty bubbles, and settled into the warm tub with a long, contented sigh. Despite only jaunting around the island for one day, her skin really had dried out a little, and so it absorbed the presented moisture eagerly. The uplifting scent of peppermint was very soothing and she found herself rolling her shoulders as she felt all the knots in her muscles begin to loosen little by little. After indulging herself in simply enjoying the experience, she set to washing her voluminous cascade of hair. Normally, she used her own personal spa set of homemade products produced from her tangerine grove- thus, normally she smelled of them, overwhelmingly. She was actually quite refreshed by the change of fragrance, and could almost taste the sharp spice of peppermint on her tongue as she lathered the soapy bubbles into her hair. The shower gel was thick and of a very nice consistency that was cool and refreshing to her parched skin, and she wondered if the store had some sort of delivery program or catalogue, because she would love to partake in more of their products for sure. Variety was the spice of life, after all.

After rinsing herself off, draining the tub, and patting herself down with a table, she settled onto the small wooden crate beside the tub to spread the thick, creamy shea butter across her body. Unlike normal lotions, the butter added a moisture-locking layer that made Nami's skin gleam radiantly and made it silk-soft to the touch, and smelled faintly of the savory peppermints. As she stood to pull on her pajamas, Nami felt more pampered and relaxed that she had in a long time. _It's all because Law was generous enough to buy me all this. _As she walked out of the bathroom, she paused at the steps and looked up; really, she ought to thank him properly and honestly. She really did feel like a new person though it was just a simple bath, but he had paid for the pleasurable experience. The interior of the ship was warmed by its innerworkings, but the same could not be said of the deck. Nami was in a pair of fluffy white pajama shorts with a matching white tank top with an adorable rendition of a polar bear on it (again, she was in a seasonal mood). She hesitated for a moment, wondering if she should change into something warmer, but she would only have to change back upon returning to the warm bowels of the ship. _It'll be quick! _She decided and skipped down the steps before she could change her mind.

It was only an hour or so after dinner, and Law normally lingered on the Sunny drinking or allowing his crew mates to party with the raucous Straw Hats. Normally at this point in the night he would sneak off to find some solitude, and there were very few places he liked to frequent. The first was the very bottom of the ship, the gallery that was lined with glass windows looking out into the sea; it reminded Law of his submarine without the stuffiness, and among his other scientific pursuits, he did have an interest in marine biology and liked to see what happened to pass by the glass. He wasn't there, so she tried the next best place at the peak of the ship, the observation room. She found Bepo, Shachi, and Penguin there gushing over the beautiful starry night (the polar bear grew very abashed when Penguin giddily pointed out the polar bear illustration on her shirt and compared to his cute and cuddly form), and after agreeing that yes, the stars were indeed nice, they surmised that Law would be at his final haunting spot- her grove of tangerine trees. Opposite to the other two areas, Nami had never been quite sure why Law sought solace among the small grove of aromatic citrus trees, but it was not uncommon to come along to him lounging on a bench lazily drinking and just staring thoughtfully at her well-tended plants.

Nami was a little hot from running literally from one end of the ship to another, but her breath still fogged in her face as she scampered across the lawned deck and up the steps leading to her grove, and goosebumps were beginning to form on her cooled skin. The wind wailed across the ship's surface with a vengeful fury, blasting through her hair and making her shudder violently with chill. _Gah! I'm gonna make this quick and go right back to my room! _She thought as she came to the top of the steps. "Law? You up he- _eeeeeeeeeee_!" her question was replaced by a shrill scream as, for the second time that day, her feet slipped on a bare patch of ice and she lunged violently backwards. She was much more frightened this time because there was not flat ground beneath her, but a set of stairs, and Nami was not going to pretend that a fall down the steps could severely injure or even kill her if she landed the wrong way. Her hands grasped futilely for the railing, unable to locate it for her hair spilling across her face.

And, once more, she felt Law's arm hook around her waist at the last moment, suspending her like a marionette under his direction. Chest heaving from panic, she tossed her head about to shake her hair out of her face and look at him wildly. He had taken off his hat for once, and his midnight blue locks caught the moonlight in such a way that they glowed like silver strands of thread, as if spun from the stars themselves.

"Careful, Nami-ya." She wasn't sure if she was shuddering from cold, her near-death experience, or his low, sultry purr. This time, he did not lift her up, but kept her hanging over the precipice with a dangerous glint in his golden eyes and that same dark, challenging smirk that set a fire in the lowest pits of her belly. She gawked owlishly at him, still reeling with shock, as he merely held her over the open air. Once she finally got her wits about her, she was about to inquire what the hell he was doing, but her words died in her throat as his other hand suddenly caught her by her calf to lift her leg up at a dramatic angle over his shoulder. Eyes boring into hers even as he turned his face to the side, he grinned wolfishly. "So… you enjoyed my little gift?" Nami's face blazed peppermint red at the blatantly seductive display. Law got a little more flirtatious and daring when he had been drinking, but he had never gotten downright handsy. Then again, the two of them had never been alone together under that circumstance, either. A deep shudder rocked her body as he ran his cheek over the smooth lotioned skin of her bare leg, the faint ticklish sensation of his sideburns eliciting devastating stimulation to her nerves. That simple action alone descended a fog over her mind, and it took her a few seconds to respond.

"Y-yes… It was very nice…" she panted slightly. _Oh, dear God, _she thought with a slight whimper. The way he was looking at her, so devilish, so primal, so… _enraptured _was doing all kinds of unspeakable things to her right now. She yelped as he suddenly jerked her up, pulling her body flush to his while her extended leg was swiftly wrapped around his hip to his back. Nami's breathed hitched in her throat, both from the suddenness and the winter air diving down her throat carrying a numbing cold. Still wearing that smirk like it was all he needed to get by, he tilted his head to the side slightly as he watched her reactions with fascination. Nami was not one to be outdone, however. Though not with as much playful nip as usual, she still managed to smile coyly and croon, "I wanted to come thank you personally, actually."

"That so?" Dammit, that smugness of his was having far more of a heightened effect on her than usual, and he was even so bold as to trace patterns into her upper thigh with his index finger while his other hand bit into the soft flesh of her hip. All the while, those eyes like molten gold captured her attention, literally stealing the breath from her chest with their glittering intensity. Nami knew in that moment that something had finally broken within Law, and their relationship wasn't going to be the same after this. Alone on the deck with the faint scent of peppermint and citrus mingling in the cold air, Nami was facing a reckoning she had longed for yet was totally unprepared for. She felt like Law was reaching into her chest to draw out her bare soul, quivering and raw under the intense burning of his own. "Tell me what's really on your mind right now, Nami-ya," he asked suddenly, softly, with tenderness she had never heard from him. His hand left her leg to sweep her tangerine locks from her flushed face, sending another spritz of peppermint flare between their faces.

"What's on my mind?" she echoed. Her mind was blank, like a smooth slab of concrete. How could expect her to have any coherent thoughts at all in the situation she was in right now. She spurted the first thing that came to her mind. "I'm thinking that… I want you to… kiss me." Her voice was small and uncertain. In the back of her mind, she was wondering if she was misreading all of the signs, and that Law was only cruelly toying with her, and she was about to mortally embarrassed. Instead of a twisted smirk of derision, a smile that she could only describe as sweet appeared on his face instead.

"_Absolutely_," came the low, deep, breathy response. As his tanned face danced before her own, Nami's eyes drifted shut of their own volition, heightening the sugary sparking sensation that blazed across her lips as soon as Law's melded over them. A humming sigh left her body at the impossibly good feeling of it, and she melted like warm honey against him, eagerly responding to the passionate kiss. Absently, she wondered if she should've invested in peppermint lip gloss, too. Law angled his head to deepen the kiss, sending Nami into a dizzying, breathless spiral' if she had not been practically plastered all over him already, she would've collapsed against him then and there, because it felt like her knees had dissolved into gelatin. His teeth lightly tugged at her bottom lip suddenly, pleading for her lips to part, and she complied without hesitation; she could not contain the small groan of pleasure that rumbled in her chest as his tongue dove into her mouth to hungrily tango with her own. He tasted as sweet as sugar, with the faint musky tunes of liquor mixed in to make a tantalizing flavor that left Nami intoxicated in itself. Her hand eased ever so slightly past the opening of his coat to run her fingertips over his bare, tattooed chest before splaying over the heart inked there, and the one beating furiously in his chest. Finally, they broke apart to stare intensely into one another's eyes with quiet pants fogging up the air between them in a misty haze and the faint scent of peppermint still lingering.

"So what do you think? About the peppermint?" she asked after a brief silence with a curling smirk. He clicked his tongue with a sly look and cocked his head to the side.

"Very nice… But I much prefer tangerines," he commented casually, but it sent Nami into another tizzy. It was suddenly painfully clear to her that he enjoyed the tangerine grove because it reminded him of her, and she was not sure how to respond that Law had been potentially captivated by her for some time. Her vixen composure dissolved into a meek girlish one, and she pressed her face into his shoulder to hide her raging blush. His chest and shoulders shook as he laughed loudly at her embarrassed response, and then he buried his face into her hair to breathe in deeply. "Although, changing it up every once in a while isn't so bad," he rumbled in her ear.

_Dr. Heartstealer, indeed, _she thought wryly as hers refused to still in her chest. Needless to say, there was a shift in their relationship indeed- and to think, it all began with a small hint of peppermint…


	43. Frenemies

Category: General Fluff

Characters: Nami, X Drake

Requested By: anubislover (Tumblr)

"Oh _shit_."

Nami could not think of anything more eloquent or lady-like to exclaim in her situation, not that there was anyone around to critique. She shuddered and pitifully rubbed her bare, paling arms as the snow whirled around her in frantic flurries and shuffled her feet constantly as the cold moisture soaked into the absorbent fabric of her boots, all while staring wide-eyed at the dismantled mess that was the Weatheria hot air balloon she may or may not have taken for an unauthorized joy ride. She had only wanted to jaunt around in the sky for the bit, had that been too much to ask? The crash wasn't even a result of her inability to pilot the massive thing; par for the Grand Line course, a giant bird had taken affront to its territory being invaded and attacked it with a razor-sharp beak, tearing the fabric asunder and sending Nami plummeting down. She had only just managed to land on the shore of a nearby island, but unfortunately it bore a winter climate.

Nami had not been dressed for the occasion in the slightest, having only prepared for the warm and sunshiney sea; as such, she was wearing far less than the required clothing, a tank top and some shorts. "I'm so screwed," she whined pitifully and hung her head. The snow crunched under her feet as she trudged back to the destroyed hot air balloon; she could buy a few hours of time by basking in the lingering warmth of the trapped gases under the fabric, at least. She grabbed the wicker basket and turned it about such that it faced opposite the direction of the wind, then snuggled herself inside. The gas was slowly leaking out from under the billowing fabric, which provided a small dome of heat for the marooned navigator. Still, she knew that it wouldn't last very long; she just had to hope and pray that someone would come for her. From the air, even though she was spiraling out of control, she had not spied any sort of settlement on the relatively small island. It looked completely abandoned, and therefore marching through a blizzard scantily clad as she was would constitute no less than a death wish. Nami rubbed her numbing fingers before placing them in the bubble of dissipating heat, hoping to stave of frostbite for as long as she could.

The cold crept in slowly, like a lioness stalking her like the meek prey Nami was, all while the snow continued to rain down endlessly. A healthy bit of it had piled up on the edge of the wicker basket; due to the lingering heat, the bottom portion was gradually melting into icy water, seeping through the woven wood strips to drip down onto her already chilled frame. It splashed against the numb skin of her shoulder with steady, repetitive splashes, and Nami imagined it as the ticking of a clock; first, a steady progression towards her rescue, but as time continued to pass, the nagging thought began to form in her mind- that it was a countdown to her freezing to death. She was not sure how much time had passed at all when the first shiver gripped her body; fifteen minutes? Fifteen hours? It was so hard to tell with only the dripping to tell time, as the dense gray clouds above hid the sun.

She was shuddering hard now, shaking the wicker basket with every wracking tremor. The snow sloughed off the edge of the basket to begin piling up beside her, progressively building a thick wall between herself and her continuously dwindling heat source. Every time that Nami swept her arm over the rising snow mound, the snowflakes countered by sinking into her flesh with sharp little teeth, spreading even more numbness across her already cold, unfeeling body. She would then desperately hug her arm to her chest, praying her body heat would revitalize it just a little bit.

By the time the breath was fogging in little puffy clouds before her face, her eyes were beginning to droop. Sleepiness was never a good sign but Nami could not muster the will to fight it. Her arms and legs were beginning to feel like ice itself, blocky and rigid and so, so cold. The ends of her fingers were white as the piling snow outside, as all the heat had begun to drain from her extremities to protect her core from the spreading chill plague. Her head lolled to the side, bumping against the wicker basket as she struggled against embracing the allure of restful sleep. _Only for a few minutes… I'll just rest until help gets here… _she thought in the wintery haze. She was very aware of her heartbeat pounding in her ears, but it was strange, because it sounds like boots crunching against hard snow. Hope flared in her chest at the realization, and she managed to turn her stiffened neck to look out the basket's open end. Was someone here to save her? The fabric of the hot air balloon had flattened out, only occasionally rippling with the tug of insistent winds; Nami was out of time. She opened her mouth to call out to whoever could be there, but the words were frozen in her throat. There was no mistaking it now; they were footsteps, they _had_ to be-! Somehow, she managed a feeble whimper just barely audible above the whistling snowy winds. _Please-! I'm right here!_

Nami felt like she was going to cry as a navy-blue gloved hand curled over the edge of the basket. The snow was pushed around into heaps as the person effortlessly whirled the basket about to peer inside. Nami's heart instantly plummeted and she felt incredibly nauseous, her hopes dashed in a matter of seconds. Her savior- if she could even call him that considering what could happen next- was none other than notorious Navy officer-turned-ruthless pirate X Drake. With another meek whimper, she pressed herself into the corner of the wicker basket looking the entire picture of a sopping kitten, dampened by the leaking ice water; to think that Cat Thief Nami had been reduced to such a state. It was pathetic, but Nami really didn't have much in the way of an arsenal to combat it. Terrifying scenarios began to bounce through her half-frozen mind.

_What if he kidnaps me and turns me in for the reward? What if he manages to track down someone else from the crew and tries to ransom me off? What would he do to me in the meantime? What if he has no intention of pawning me off at all and keeps me around as some form of morbid entertainment? What if he just kills me off right now? _Her eyes had dilated greatly from terror and her breath was coming in shallow, high-pitched bursts now. With the remainder of her strength, she reached for her Climatact strapped to her leg.

"St-stay away!" she warned him. Despite her sorry state, she still managed to pour plenty of venom into her shaky voice. X Drake just stared at her levelly, his blank expression never shifting. Nami had no idea what was running through his mind at all.

"There's no reason for you to be afraid. I have no intention of harming you."

"Fat chance of that! You're a pirate, a traitorous ex-Navy pirate at that!" she spat. That seemed to get at least a slight rise out of him, as his ginger eyebrows arched down over his dark eyes, just barely shadowed by the curved brim of his hat. "Why should I trust you?"

"You'll freeze to death otherwise. Believe me or not, you don't have much choice but to trust me here." His reasoning was maddeningly sound. Nami didn't have a choice. She didn't have the time to wait around from someone from Weatheria any longer; she could very realistically die within the hour. Biting down on her lip in frustration, she frantically wracked her mind for any other alternative before uttering a very simple, curt "Fine."

Drake stepped away from the basket as she shifted on her hands and knees to crawl out; it was more effort than she would've ever imagined. Her limbs had grown as stiff as oak wood from spending the entire time curled up in a single position, which was exacerbated by the freezing cold. Her palms burned like they were afire as she plunged her hands into the deep snow, and she wasted no time in pushing herself to her feet. She almost fell right back down, however, as her knees knocked together wildly from how hard her body was shaking. She hated that she presented such a meek, weak figure to the tall, menacing pirate, and to combat that image some she made sure her face was twisted into a very distrustful scowl.

"What a fierce woman you are," he laughed heartily, not intimidated in the slightest. Her shrugged out of his fur-lined coat and held it out to her. Nami's pride dictated that she accepted no pity and that she march on through the blizzard clad as she was, but holy hell, she could feel his intense body heat radiating from the garment, whispering sweet nothings of warmth and comfort. Nami threw her pride out the window and pretty much dove into the coat, sliding her arms through the long, wide sleeves and nearly melted into a puddle on the spot. Is was gargantuan on her, falling down to the middle of her calves and requiring her to roll up the sleeves several times, but that just seemed to make it all the more a bundle of life-giving heat. She found herself immediately relaxing despite the presence of the man beside her. _Feels so good… _she thought, her mind now muddled by the lovely warmth. She only looked at X Drake when he began to chuckle good-naturedly at her, and it was then that she noticed that he was dressed in a great many layers. It was freezing, no doubt, but not _that_ excessive.

_Right… His Devil Fruit power is reptile-based. Is his weakness the cold? _She wondered. It would make sense. Considering that, the fact that he had trekked across the island to investigate the balloon crash and offer her the very nice coat chipped away slightly at her mistrust of him. Rumors weren't everything; maybe, just maybe, Nami had been lucky to land before a pirate captain who carried some form of chivalry.

"I am curious. Where did you come from?" he inquired as he kicked the destroyed fabric of the balloon with a small frown. "I had heard rumor that the Straw Hats had been scattered after the events at Marineford. Considering you are alone and piloting this thing, I surmise that is true." Should she tell him? Weatheria was very close; he might even offer to bring her there. Then again, would she put the weather wizards of Weatheria in danger by revealing her location? If he ever desired to exploit the fact that Nami was separated from the monstrous members of her crew, he could jaunt over and kidnap her like it was a Sunday walk. His eyes flickered to her, intense but not menacing. "I see you are still mistrustful of me. Very well then, I won't pry."

"You can rest assured in the fact that someone will come for me eventually, if that's what you're asking."

"'Rest assured'? I think not. I hid out on this island to avoid the Marines; it isn't much of a secret hideaway if someone knows that I'm here," he pointed out with a voice that had finally taken some edge. She swallowed nervously; it was beginning to seem that she was right in not trusting him. He made no move, however, only watched her guardedly, and she knew her next move would determine her fate. Nami decided to bet that some honesty might get her out of this unscathed.

"I came from Weatheria. The weather wizards don't have much interest in the squabbles between pirates and the Marines. If you don't bother them, they won't bother you." The corner of his mouth twitched in what have may have been an attempt at a smile, and then he straightened up to his full intimidating height, towering over her as he tried to gauge the truth of her statement. Nami felt highly uncomfortable under his interrogative stare but did her best not to quail.

"Very well." As he whirled on his heel to begin tromping away, she was a little unnerved on how easily he accepted her statement. She really couldn't get a read on the guy, and she really prided herself on her ability to measure people up.

It was then that Nami noticed that the cold was beginning to seep back into her skin, despite the very padded coat. _Right! My clothes are soaking wet. _He raised an eyebrow at her as she drew har arms into the body of the coat and began to fidget around. "What are you-" he didn't finish his sentence as he saw Nami's shorts drop into the snow, and his face immediately blazed a rich shade of crimson. "Why are you getting naked?!" he cried and whirled around with a hand over his eyes, though Nami was more than concealed by the coat.

"My clothes are wet. The coat won't do any good if I'm still wearing them," she answered while nonchalantly pulling her shirt through the neck of the jacket. It dropped against her shorts with a wet plop, and Drake let out a strangled gasp. A smirk appeared on Nami's lips. _So, the big, bad X Drake is shy around women? Good to know, _she thought. She decided to keep her underwear on, because she didn't trust him nearly enough to go completely commando with him around yet. She bent down to pick up the sopping wet clothes, then looked up to find him tromping several feet ahead of her.

"Come on, unless you want to die out here," he called to her without even looking over his shoulder. He was probably mortified by his raging blush. Resigning herself to the fate that would at least prolong her survival, Nami hurried after him. It was a struggle for several reasons: her small stride was dwarfed by his, covering at least a foot and a half per step, and the snow had piled up to her knees. She had to hold up the hem of the coat as she literally waded through the thick white powder, while Drake was just moseying along with the stuff barely coming up to his calf. Nami very quickly fell behind, huffing and puffing; she was fairly certain that she had developed a fever to combat hypothermia as well, for her skin was flushing an angry red color and sweat was pooling on her forehead and making her tangerine hair stick uncomfortably to her scalp. After a point, Drake glanced back to see her several yards behind attempting to push her way through a snow drift. "Do you want help?"

"No!" she barked back at him, face twisted in a determined frown. She had already presented herself to be a damsel in distress enough today, and like hell she was going to let him carry her the rest of the way. With a jerk, she forced her leg through the wall of snow and stepped down, only to find that it concealed a very large hole. With a shrill shriek, her entire body sank down to her shoulders, with her arms splayed out over the top of the snowbank and her head tilted back to keep from getting a mouthful of the stuff. Immediately her skin bristled at the intense cold, and she very shrilly squeaked, "Yes, help me, please." X Drake was chortling to himself as he strode effortlessly through the snowdrift to pluck her up by the back of her hood, lifting her like a kitten by its scruff. She dangled in the air for a second as he allowed her to brush as much of the wet snow from her body as possible.

Thankfully he decided not to carry her bridal-style or another degrading manner, but piggyback-style. His shoulders were so broad that Nami's arms could barely meet around his neck, and it was an effort to hook her legs around his hips. She really didn't complain, though, as the sheer amount of furnace-like heat rolling off his body chased away the rest of the cold and left her warm and content. It was even better that he was blushing bright pink from head-to-tow since he was very aware that she had naught but underwear on beneath his coat; Nami found that so amusing. Still, it was a little embarrassing clinging to him like some kind of little spider monkey. "Why are you doing all this?" she asked, unable to contain her curiosity. She could count on one hand the number of pirate captains who would take it upon themselves to rescue her asking nothing in return, much less let her parade around mostly naked under their coat without giving her more grief.

"I may have defected from the Navy, but that doesn't mean I have become completely ruthless. A man has his own personal code of values, and chivalry towards women is in mine," he answered with a small shrug, but given his size, he very nearly pushed her off and she had to wrap her arms tight around his neck to keep that from happening. "I would have to be a total monster to leave a young woman to freeze to death in the snow."

"I know of several members of the Worst Generation who would do just that, or 'rescue' me only to hold me hostage or ransom me to the Marines," she grumbled. His shoulders shook with a rumbling laugh.

"They don't call us 'the Worst Generation' for nothing, indeed. I suppose you should count yourself lucky, Nami." As she thought; he knew exactly who she was. Still, she was beginning to feel at ease with the ginger-haired pirate's companionship; he seemed to have no ulterior motives and had not attempted to molest her in any way as of yet. She was still on her guard just in case it was all a front, but at the very least, he was easy to talk to. "Tell me, why is it the Straw Hats have decided to go their separate ways?"

"We're training to take on the New World," she answered. It wasn't like he could use that information specifically for much of anything, so why lie? The Paramount War had been broadcasted on Saboady Archipelago for all to see; everyone knew that Luffy only escaped by the skin of his teeth, and was severely injured. The only reason that rumors weren't flying that he had died was because he had declared war on the World Government only a few days later.

"And the World Government," he mused as she thought about the incident. "Straw Hat sure is a bold one. He has a very loyal crew, for them to be willing to join in his crusade against them. The World Government isn't a bunch of pushovers."

"I believe in him one hundred percent! He's going to be King of the Pirates, after all!" she insisted and was completely unabashed to do so. X Drake laughed heartily again, seemingly finding her confidence very entertaining rather than insulting. "Why're you laughing? You're shooting for the title too, aren't you?"

"I have my goals and ambitions, yes," he mused while looking back at her with glittering eyes, "but I would be a fool not to admit that the boy has potential. The fact that you speak so confidently of him is a testament to his charisma and uncanny ability to draw people to his cause." Nami found herself smiling broadly, because he was right. Even his enemies found themselves admiring of him; he was just that special. The smile drooped like her lead hot air balloon as he added, "However, don't think that I will be singing his praises if we meet in the new world. I won't simply allow him to become Pirate King because I think he's neat."

"Bring it on. He'll kick your ass," she said bluntly. Another round of booming laughter. She had heard tales of his brutality and menace, but Nami was beginning to think that when he wasn't a rampaging dinosaur, he was a pretty laid-back guy. It was almost a shame that the next time they did meet they would be enemies, because she almost liked him.

"We'll see about that," he responded in a contented hum. He suddenly stopped walking and looked up, frowning; Nami followed suit and could not silence an overjoyed cry as she saw the unmistakable form of a hot air balloon drifting through the billowing gray clouds. "It seems that the weather wizards have come to retrieve you after all," he remarked wryly. No doubt, Nami's shock of orange hair was visible against the harsh backdrop of white, as the hot air balloon immediately began to descend towards them. With a huff, Nami hopped down from X Drake's back, landing in the snow. It wasn't that deep there, and her boots were able to keep most of the cold out, as they had dried some while she was being hauled on his back. "Until next time, then," he remarked with a tip of his hat and turned to walk away, cloak flapping in the winter wind.

"Wait! Thank you for everything."

"Do you think it wise to thank your enemy? He may hold it against you someday," he remarked cryptically, but looked back at her with a wry smile.

"Then let's be frenemies!" He gave her an absolutely dumfounded look, to which Nami responded with a beaming grin. "Y'know, we're enemies when it's necessary, but the rest of the time, we're friends!" He blinked at her, every stage of grief passing through his expression, before he let out a snort of laughter.

"Straw Hat certainly keeps amusing company," he remarked. Nami giggled and stuck out her tongue a little as she smiled charmingly. The hot air balloon had since descended well into range, and a rope ladder dropped down to dangle right above the snow beside her.

"So, again, thank you. Oh! I should give you your coat back!" Nami cried and began wriggling out of the garment, causing Drake to blush furiously and whirl around.

"No! Keep it!" Nami laughed, because of course she had no intention stripping down to her negligee in front of the ex-Marine. She hopped up onto the rope ladder, and the weather wizard in the basket far above her head began pulling it little by little back into the hot air balloon. Nami tossed a wink and a smile over her shoulder at the still-blushing pirate captain.

"See ya in the New World! I hope it's under good circumstances!" she called down to him before climbing up the rungs of woven rope. It certainly wasn't an encounter she had been expecting to have in the limbo that was this two year-training period, but hey, Nami wasn't entirely ungrateful. The more enemies she could charm for Luffy's sake, the better! Besides, conversing with X Drake wasn't really that bad. If things were different, she could almost imagine the Straw Hats idolizing him.

Alas, they already had their idol in the form of a dorky, airheaded, optimistic but reliable straw hat-wearing boy destined for greatness. _Sorry, X Drake, but frenemies it's gotta be! _


	44. A Straw Hat Birthday Party

Category: Friendship Fluff

Characters: Nami

Requested By: anubislover (Tumblr)

"Dearly beloved, we are all gathered here today to commemorate a very special occasion," Sanji announced dramatically as he stood at the head of the kitchen table, held tilted back and his hand over his heart in the epitome of a regal air. Nami jumped slightly as he slammed his hand down on the table and pointed at her with the other, hearts beating wildly in his eyes. "Nami-swan's birthday~" Nami rolled her eyes nearly into the back of her head at the ridiculousness of it; her birthday was a month ago, in July, one month before they had reconvened in Sabaody Archipelago and set out to Fishman Island. They had surfaced this morning and were currently sailing onwards in search of another sort of business for Luffy to poke his nose into, and they had all been very confused when Sanji had suddenly summoned them for a premise other than lunch.

"Sanji, it's been over a month since my birthday- and technically, almost all of us have had _two _birthdays since we were separated, so is it really fair to celebrate only mine?" she pointed out with a wave of her hand. Not that she was unappreciative of the sentiment- it was actually really nice that Sanji had committed her birthday to memory, though not entirely unexpected- but it didn't sit well with her to leave everyone out. Sanji instantly deflated to sink into a chair, grumbling and lighting up a cigarette to sulk. "Look, all I'm saying is, maybe we should have like a joint birthday party for everyone!" she suggested. She didn't want to ruin _all_ his fun.

"Oooooooh! That sounds like so much fuuuuuuun!" Luffy cried and filled the air with the happy clacking of the soles of his flip-flops slapping together. "Let's do it, Sanji! Please? _Please_?" Sanji took a long drag of his cigarette before cocking his head to the side, blowing the plume of smoke through his mouth and nose.

"Nnh, it doesn't sound too terrible an idea. I could make a hell of a tiered cake with everyone's favorites…" he began to mumble to himself as he unconsciously rolled up his sleeves and got up to begin rooting around his kitchen for various supplies. Luffy crowed ecstatically and flung his rubbery arms into the air before stretching out his head across the table to where Usopp and Franky were sitting together to begin yelling at them about party decorations. Chopper got up and ran across the table to Robin bleating about scrounging up small little presents for everybody, to which the woman smiled and responded calmly that she was sure they could find something. This led to a slew of construction paper, scissors, glue, and various other art articles from Usopp's cache being slung across the table to create birthday cards, while Usopp, Franky, and Sanji worked around them on their respective duties. Luffy was attempting to be helpful but kept letting the balloons loose to fly around because he thought it was funny, and Zoro decided it wasn't worth all the effort and was sleeping on the floor. It was absolute chaos, but somehow Nami had wrangled in the mania just a bit to provide a menial amount of order; she had divvied up the birthday card assignments between herself, Brook, and Chopper. Robin was using her Devil Fruit power to help out in various ways and was lounged back beside Chopper as he sat down on the table in front of her coloring with some crayons.

"Nami? What do you think of this? Yohohohoho!" Brook chortled beside her and held up his card for him to critique his handiwork. Nami instantly grimaced; she should have known better than to ask him to make a card for her. He had drawn an actually cute-looking pair of panties on the front with the simple phrase "It's your birthday! Show me your panties!"

"Brook, come on, take this seriously!" she tutted and waggled her finger at him. "It may seem like everyone is taking this lightly, but look at how hard everyone is working for all our sakes!" she said with a gesture around the room. Sanji was slaving over a large bowl whisking frosting into oblivion while an automatic mixer churned his cake batter into creamy goodness; Usopp and Franky were kneeled on the floor painting a very elaborate and tasteful banner; and Luffy was actually getting serious enough to actually begin tying the balloons together into arrangements. Brook's calcified face frowned and he looked down at the card, his bony eyebrows narrowed in concentration.

"I see… I apologize, Nami. I haven't celebrated my birthday in fifty years. I suppose I forgot how much it meant to others." Nami's heart immediately twisted into contorted guilt. She hadn't meant to upset him! Gosh, darn it, now she had to cheer him up, dammit. The skeleton man was obviously blue. Nami smiled sweetly and reached up to pat his bushy afro.

"Don't sweat it, okay? I didn't mean to be harsh! Look, all I meant was that I would rather you pour your heart and soul into it! You don't need my approval. Do your best!" she said with a nervous edge to her smile. Would it work? God, she couldn't upset anybody on their joint birthday celebration! Luckily enough, Brook instantly brightened and bent over his card, pencil flying with renewed gusto. Nami breathed a small sigh of relief and went back to working on her own birthday cards.

* * *

Considering it was a spur-of-the-moment thing, their little joint birthday celebration was underway right as the sun began to sink towards the endless horizon. They had moved their party to the spacious dining room; the birthday banner was strung across the wall, splashed with brilliant color and bubbly font that simply screamed celebratory cheer. Balloons were placed all about, bouncing along the floor and bobbing along the ceiling, and tied in great bunches at each corner of the room. Sanji's work of art, the tiered cake with sections catering to each crew member's taste, was situated on the middle of the table which was draped in white tablecloth. Chopper eagerly went about delivering the cards to their respective recipients before clambering up into his seat between Robin and Nami, drooling as he held a fork and knife and eyed the beautiful cake.

"Carve it up, Sanji, I'm _starving_!" Luffy whined in a wheedling voice as he banged his fists on the table impatiently. Sanji shook his golden bangs from his face with a snort of derision and a glare that warned "don't piss off the man with the massive cake knife."

"Keep it up and you'll get yours last!" he snapped. Luffy did not take kindly to that, melting into a puddle against the table, but obediently ceased all impatient grumbling while Sanji set to cutting up the cake and delivering pieces around. Nami and Robin got theirs first, of course, but she patiently waited for everyone to get theirs before trying it; oh, but it was so hard to wait, because it seemed simply delectable! It was a tangerine sponge cake with lemon-orange whipped frosting and flecks of strawberry to add some conflicting tang. Nami's mouth began to water just staring at it, and she practically dove into it when Sanji announced that they could. The icing was simply divine, melting into tasty sugar on her tongue, and the cake was the perfect level of moist and had an incredible texture.

"Sanji! This cake is immaculate!" she cried with a mouthful of her second piece.

"Ah! Only the best for you, Nami-swaaaaaaaan~!" Sanji trilled while pirouetting on the table so fast that she could imagine him little beating pink hearts all over the place.

"Cards! Let's read the cards now!" Chopper begged while holding his up over his head. They eagerly complied and began reading off the little messages in the cards; it was pretty obvious who wrote who's. Choppers all had some iteration of "Happy birthday, you bastard!" but also featured adorable little renditions of the tiny reindeer with whoever the card's recipient was; they were so charming and child-like that Nami's heart melted just looking at the drawings. It was clear that he put his heart and soul into them. Of course, he grew very bashful with all the gratuitous remarks and tried to laugh it off, but the brilliant grin on his furry face was plenty evidence that he was overjoyed at his handiwork's reception.

Comparably, Nami's cards were a bit simpler and had an almost store-bought craftsmanship to them, decorated with floral patterns and containing simple yet heartfelt personalized notes to the recipient. Sanji of course was one of them and he pirouetted so hard that he activated his Diable Jambe, warbling like a deranged songbird about how it would be an artifact that he would treasure for all time. Zoro was smiling wryly because she had made a pretty cheeky comment about his less-than-healthy rate of alcohol consumption.

Finally, it was time to get to Brook's cards. The outside was unassuming, scrawled with wave patterns, but when she opened it she was bewildered to find that it contained no message or inscription of any kind. She looked up to Luffy and Usopp's confused expressions to find that theirs suffered an identical issue. Before any of them could inquire, Brook cleared his non-existent throat and stood up to his full towering height, violin in hand.

"I am afraid that I struggled quite a bit in what to put in your cards. Ultimately I realized that I have far too much to say, yohohohoho, so hear it is in song instead!" He flipped the violin about to tuck it beneath his chin before drawing the thin instrument across the taut strings, producing a melodic wave of sound. Nami leaned her cheek into her hand with a small smile; his voice really was amazingly pleasing to the ear, and it seemed that he really had taken her advice to heart. There was nothing that Brook put more heart and soul into than his music. He sang about Usopp first, chronicling his bravery and adventurous soul, moving the elated Usopp to tears (which really wasn't that hard considering he cried over almost everything). He sang about Luffy next, commending his indomitable spirit and good-naturedness, and though he had no idea what the words were, the straw hat-wearing captain hopped up onto the table and began dancing around singing random notes. Usopp soon jumped up with him and they linked arms, stomping in a circle. The rest of the crew found themselves clapping along, although Sanji snapped at them that it was their funeral if they ruined his cake.

Finally, Brook arrived at his verse for Nami. It was a song of the wind and the sea and tangerines and the navigator's strong will. Nami felt like he plucked the strings of her heart rather than those of the violin, because she was just so moved by it. She leaned back in her chair while giving Brook a serene, warm smile, and he tossed her a wink while he continued to sing his birthday card for the three of them.

_See, Brook? It's not hard at all- not when you love us as much as you do. Sometimes you just have to put in words a little differently, huh? _She thought contentedly as she tapped her foot along to the raucous beat. Nami couldn't have asked for a more thoughtful birthday card than that.


	45. Sweet

Category: Romantic Fluff

Characters: Zoro, Nami

Requested By: deliathedork (Tumblr)

_**Alternatum to A Straw Hat Birthday Party**_

Nami like to wet her pants as she ascended the steps leading down to the crew's bedrooms only to be bombarded by the entirety of the crew screaming "_Happy birthday!_" at the absolute top of their lungs. Her hand flew to her heart as it momentarily froze from fear and her mouth flew open into a startled shriek. Her other hand grasped the railing of the stairway so she wouldn't fall for her body automatically jerking backwards. After the initial shock, she exhaled deeply and looked at them in a mixture of appreciation and annoyance.

"Er… Thanks, you guys?" Nami had to admit that she was a little perplexed. Her birthday was over a month ago, in July, since they had decided to wait two years exactly to reunite on Saobody Archipelago. They had just ascended from the Fishman Kingdom and were cruising around for their next adventure. Nami really had no idea why the crew had decided to celebrate Nami's birthday only, when they had all had birthdays over the course of their separation, and when they had found the time to plan out the act either. _Actually, you know what, they're probably just looking for an excuse to party, _she thought dryly. Well, a party, regardless of its kind, was something Nami could get behind. She hopped up the remainder of the steps to beam brightly at all of them. "This certainly was a surprise, everyone!"

"_Shishishishi_! It was Sanji's idea!" Luffy snickered while pointing at the blonde cook. _Of course it was. _Sanji was whirling around in a circle asking her if she liked her surprise in a loud, trilling screech. His eyes may have well been replaced with beating cartoon hearts with how much he was pandering for her affections. Amused, Nami decided to cater to him a little; she walked over and caught up under his chin, freezing him in his tracks.

"Why, yes, Sanji. I love it." That's all it took for him to grab at his heart and faint into a lovestruck stupor on the spot. Nami giggled at how easily the cook swooned.

"Wow, Nami, that's not fair, taking advantage of him like that," came a sarcastic drone from over her shoulder. She turned her head to see Zoro smirking sardonically at her; he must have poured a good bit of alcohol into his system to be in such a good mood, because normally he would've gone straight into a rant about how idiotic he was. Nami jutted out her hip and placed a hand on it while she dismissively waved the other.

"What~? I'm only telling the truth," she cooed with a saucy wink at the swordsman. Zoro was fun to flirt with since he didn't fluster, only grew incredibly amused. Truth be told, Nami was aiming for the day that she could finally make a blush appear on that rigid, stone-cold face of his; that would mean that she had won the unspoken and possibly one-sided game. One-sided or not, she had been spitting her game at him for the entirety that they had been in contact with each other, just about, and it was almost infuriating at how easily he brushed it off. Sure enough, he only snorted in slight laughter and took another swig from his jar of sake. She puffed out her cheeks at him indignantly. _Dammit, it's my birthday! Just one blush! That's all I ask! _At this point, it was confusing of whether it was from the challenge or actually romantic investment, but to Nami, that really didn't matter. She just had to win, dammit! Mark her words, before this day was over, she was gonna make Zoro putty in her pretty little hands…

She gasped as the green-haired swordsman, now suddenly right in front of her, poked her in the forehead. "Hey!"

"Yo, were you paying attention? You wanna party or not?" Nami pouted as she rubbed the small red mark that had appeared on her forehead. She begrudgingly watched as he strode away, drinking to his heart's content, while she began hatching nasty flirtatious schemes in her mind. She was going to make him putty, yes, indeed…

* * *

Nami had no earthly idea where they got the piñata- yet, there it was, a little colorful paper-mâché donkey swaying gently in the breeze rolling from the sea. Luffy was hooting and hollering at her to bust it open so they could instantly claim the candy prize inside, and Nami didn't really have the desire to argue that she didn't carry the upper body strength to blast the damned thing open in one swing. Nonetheless, she draped the blindfold over her eyes and allowed Robin to spin her around ten times. As the woman released her shoulders, Nami immediately staggered like a hopeless drunk; who knew that spinning around blindfolded was so disorienting? She clutched the little plastic bat tightly in her hands as she wobbled uncertainly towards the direction she thought the piñata was, stopping after a few paces. She then unsteadily hefted the bat over her shoulder before giving it one good, powerful swing. With a resound _crack!_ the bat connected with the strung-up cardboard-and-paper animal, but Nami could tell that she was nowhere close to splitting it open. She paused to pull the blindfold up off her eyes and smirked with a small degree of satisfaction at the small buckle in the piñata's side. _Wow! I actually put a dent in the thing!_

Usopp, Chopper, and Robin all took their swing at the creature- all Devil Fruit abilities limited, of course, to even the playing field and to keep the fun from ending too soon. By the time Zoro picked up the small bat to take his swing, the poor like donkey didn't look much like one anymore, all crumpled and squished up. Nami knew the moment that Zoro hauled the bat over his shoulder that it was over with; with a loud roar, he swung with all his might and instantly disemboweled the poor thing. Everyone in the vicinity cheered and dove for the candy, but they had been reduced to the mindset of feral animals. None of them had any consideration at all for the fact that it was Nami's birthday, and even with some pilfering, Nami only had managed to grab a small handful of sweets (naturally, Chopper and Luffy had absconded with the lot of it). Nami wasn't a child, but like hell if she wasn't going to be salty about the fact that she was significantly deprived of loot from her own piñata.

"Darn it," she muttered as she disgracefully chewed on a small strip of stretchy taffy. Luffy and Chopper were so sugar-coma'd already that they were completely immune to her stink-eye. With a sigh, she tore off the wrapper of another piece of candy. "Better than nothing, I guess…" she grumbled under her breath. She cried out as a whole pile of candy was suddenly dumped into her lap. She glanced up, expecting to see Sanji begging for her good graces, but was floored to find that Zoro had deposited a large portion of his candy cache on her. "Z-Zoro?"

"Take it. I'm not that big into sweets," he mumbled as he looked away to the side, occupying himself with his sake. Nami leaned forward with her eyebrows knit together as she inspected his face, because, _oh my Lord_, he was finally _blushing_! The faint hint of pink gracing his cheeks was unmistakable. _Unbelievable_! She hadn't even been trying to pass moves at him, and the damn swordsman was blushing of his own accord? _What the hell?!_ Pouting at her loss, Nami glanced down at her gain. It certainly was a hell of a stash. She picked up a piece of fruity candy and peered up at him through her thick lashes; he was watching her out of the corners of his eyes expectantly. Suddenly, she was the one blushing. _Did he notice that I was sad…? _

"Thank you, Zoro…" she said as she slowly slid the gummy candy into her mouth. She honestly wasn't quite sure what to thing of the situation. It was an overwhelmingly compassionate and generous gesture, and it wasn't like Zoro was completely incapable of either- it was just that she had never expected them to be directed at her. Her cheeks burned a shade of crimson as he flashed her a smile that was undeniably warm.

"No problem. Can't have Birthday Girl all down in the dumps, can we?" His shoulders jumped with short snort of laughter. _So he did notice… _She wiggled her shoulders shyly as she looked down at the candy. Had Zoro always been this sweet to her? Sure enough, as she traced her memory, plenty of instances rose to the top of her mind… She reached up a hand to clutch at the area over her heart as it clenched slightly. Could she… Could she really have a thing for Zoro? Is that why she was so desperate for him to acknowledge her flirting attempts? She swallowed thickly at the very real possibility, then again peered up at him through her eyelashes again. He was staring hard at her; she bristled like a wild cat on the defense at his very intense but expressionless gaze. "You've got a funny look on your face."

"Well, of course I do! This is the sweetest thing you've ever done for me!" she cried and gestured down to the pile of candy. A confident grin formed on his face, and Nami immediately knew that he was about to get up to no good. Nami was currently sitting on the steps leading up to the upper deck, while the rest of the crew was scattered about the deck munching on their haul. Zoro was standing right in front of her at the perfect angle to eclipse anything and everything that happened between them. He set the sake bottle down on the ground and crouched down with his arms slung lazily over his knees, but still towered a full head over her height so that she had to crane her neck up slightly to look him in the eye. The way it was glittering in amusement above that smug sneer sent a pleasurable shiver up Nami's spine. How in the hell had she not noticed how smokin' hot Zoro was up until then?! _This taffy has got to be laced with something, _she thought as she looked down to begin inspecting the empty wrappers, because she had to be tripping on something to consider any romantic attraction towards Zoro.

Or… was she? All the flirting, all the banter, all the moments… Nami couldn't deny it had all been leading up to this. She inhaled sharply as his hand caught the underside of her chin to force her to look at him. Oh, the things that smirk was doing to her. "Z-zoro?"

"_I'm_ sweet?" he snorted in one hundred percent amusement. Nami flushed with one hundred percent mortification. She had no idea how the conversation was about to proceed. All she managed was a meek, unconvincing nod. Her spine stiffened like a steel rod as his thumb brushed against her bottom lip. If she wasn't tripping, Zoro had to be drunk, right? Only Zoro didn't get drunk. _Holy shit, this is really happening! _Nami didn't know if she was confused or excited. Probably a mixture of both. _Would you just kiss me already? _She begged silently as she squirmed in his light grip. His mouth twitched in amusement, as if he had heard her.

Then, next thing she knew, his face had descended over hers with blinding speed to enclose her lips in a hungry, sloppy kiss. Nami's nose absorbed the intense stinging bite of the sake as it was all but smeared across her lips by the swordsman's own. Nami got drunk off the fumes alone, or maybe it was the impossibly inebriating pleasure of the heated kiss. Distantly, she wondered if anyone had noticed what was happening; probably not, because Sanji would've wrenched Zoro back to begin beating the hell out of him the instant he saw. Thanks to the way they were situated, Zoro could pour affection on the navigator to his heart's content with the crew being none the wiser. The powerful passion of the kiss elicited a small moan from Nami and she parted her lips slightly, all but begging for Zoro to sweep in and claim her tongue as her own. He obliged her quiet plea, and though she hadn't thought it possible, Nami grew even more drunk. There was something so exhilarating and titillating about the sudden, abrupt release of the apparent sexual tension that had mounted between them. Nami's face chased his as it suddenly broke apart from hers, for a few millimeters. Zoro laughed dryly as he stood up, sweeping his tongue over his lips. "Nah," he laughed while wiping the corner of his mouth. "You're the one who's sweet…" Nami's face lit afire at the very obvious connotation. He wasn't referring to her personality here…

Zoro left Nami short-circuiting on the steps, just like that, with the crew completely unaware as to what had just happened. Nami's heart thumped in her chest as she looked away to hide her uncontrollable blush. _That scoundrel, _she thought with a scowl as she shoved a piece of candy in her mouth for a distraction- or, maybe, to sweeten her up a little more for a secret rendezvous later…

_**Author's Note: **_To the Anon that requested the Nami/Arlong pairing- I am afraid that I am going to have to refuse your request this time! I wish I could message you personally instead of putting this on blast, but that's just how this site works, so don't think I'm doing this out of prejudice or anything! I would just hate to not answer you. As for reasons, I have multiple, but the primary factor is the significant age difference between Nami and Arlong; I generally refuse to write characters that are more than ten years apart. Then, there is the entire canon relationship between the two. Granted, this is all under the assumption that you are requesting this pairing romantically; if not, please be sure to elaborate in your request and I may choose to honor it in that case. Anyway, hopefully you take my denial with no prejudice and feel free to request something else with no hard feelings; I certainly hate refusing requests, but there are just some things I am uncomfortable writing. Hope you understand!


	46. Icing on the Cake

Category: Romantic Fluff

Characters: X Drake, Jewelry Bonney

Requested By: anubislover (Tumblr)

Bonney released a loud, contented sigh as she plopped down onto the bar chair, leaning against its wooden back as she propped her booted feet on the small table. She slung her arm lazily over the shoulder and twirled the luscious strands of her bubblegum-pink hair around her finger while flashing a wink at the very uncomfortable waiter. He flushed the color of her hair before whirling on his heel to scurry off to the bar, because the entirety of the staff already knew what "Big Eater" Bonney liked to partake in. This particular bar was one of her favorite haunts, and regardless of where she was or what she was doing, she always made a voyage to this island at a particular time of the year…

This bar, of all the many restaurants Bonney had frequented in her life, simply had the most delectable, delicious, _irresistible_ birthday cake that she had ever tasted!

The bar had been anticipating her arrival, as most of the patrons consisted of her crew, who were already in various states of drunk. Plates and glasses had already begun flying about, and the poor cleaning staff were struggling to maneuver brooms through the writhing, sweaty bodies to sweep away the glass, because the rowdy pirates would surely turn on them once they got a glass shard to the sole of their foot. A large flagon of cream soda was delivered to Bonney's waiting hand. Normally, of course, she would drown herself in alcohol like the rest of her mates, but the bitter taste of beer went horribly with the sweet birthday cake! No, tonight, Bonney was going to deliver herself to a sugar coma rather than a drunken stupor.

A big smile painted her face as she sloppily chugged on the frothy soda, a faint line of fizz decorating her face as she slammed it down and demanded another. Balancing the chair on two legs as she contentedly eased it back and forth, Bonney was relaxed despite the raucous atmosphere. _Birthday cake~ Birthday cake~ _she chanted blissfully in her mind, swinging her finger about to the tune. Everywhere else she would be slamming her fists and hurling chairs if she didn't immediately have her food, but this was the rare instance in which patience was well rewarded. Drool began to pool in the corner of her mouth as she imagined it being brandished on a silver platter, an entire tiered strawberry and cream cake being presented to her and her only… Ooh, she could literally taste the creamy buttercream on her tongue already! She clicked her tongue as she reeled her mind back in, lest she truly become irritable at waiting. She didn't want to hound the kitchen staff at the expense at her delicious cake, after all…

The door to the bar was suddenly slammed open. Everyone in the bar hall, including Bonney, whirled their heads about to stare in awe at whoever dared to trespass on what was temporarily the pirate lass's domain. Her mouth twisted into a mischievous smirk as she recognized the large, hulk, intimidating form of Marine-turned-pirate X Drake. His sharp blue eyes scanned the disheveled bar scene until they landed on Bonney's lounging, grinning form.

"My, my. It seems this bar is already taken." Bonney released a coquettish whimper as his low, rumbling, deep voice graced her pretty little ears; Bonney's love of men nearly rivaled her love of food, and she would be a fool to deny that the muscled ginger cut a very attractive figure. His eyes were trained on her, waiting for her reaction, and Bonney instantly shifted into coy vixen mode. With a girlish flutter of her eyelashes, she began tracing intricate patterns into the exposed skin of her thigh and shifted her body to give him a healthy view of her assets.

"Nonsense, Drake," she cooed invitingly. "The more the merrier. Come sit with me a while 3" She had to physically suppress a squeal of satisfaction as a flush of red crept up his neck, and her teeth bit into the soft flesh of her lower lip as she imagined the fun little games she was about to play with him. He stood stiffly in the doorway, weighing his options, before he very slowly strode into the building towards the flirtatious pirate captain. His crew spilled in after him, and within a few minutes, the bar was back to its noisy, jostling, chaotic state.

Bonney refused to remove her feet from the table as Drake dragged a chair over to sit across from her; after all, her long, shapely legs were one of her best features, and like hell she wasn't going to have them on full display for her handsome suitor. "Tell me," she hummed while continuing to paint invisible patterns in her milky smooth skin, "what brings X Drake to this little spot in the sea?" His eye flickered uncomfortably to her swirling finger before darting back up to her.

"What brings _Jewelry Bonney_ to this little spot in the sea?" he countered calmly. She fell back into the chair with an airy laugh; oh, he was playing along, how fun! She tilted her head, exposing her neck to him with every amount of suggestiveness, and eyed him good-humoredly.

"Oh, were you not aware? It's my birthday, and this little joint happens to have the best birthday cake in all the Grand Line!" His expression remained stony.

"Happy birthday." She pursed her lips in a disappointed pout, finally bringing her legs down from the table only to plaster her large chest across its surface; the blush crept further up Drake's thick neck as they nearly spilled out of her flimsy ruffled tank top.

"Oh, Drakey, honey, surely you can manage more feeling than that?" she whined pitifully. "You make me think you don't care!" The corner of his mouth tugged down into a very painful frown. Bonney was not one to let up the chase. The chair's legs piercingly scraped the floor as she dragged it closer to him to wrap a dainty little hand around his thick bicep. His ears were burning pink now, and he looked away with a grunt as it blazed over his cheeks.

"What are you doing, woman?"

"Why, I'm just enjoying the company of a sexy man~" she answered unabashedly. "There's nothing else to do while I wait for my birthday cake, so I might as well have a little fun 3" She let out a shrieking, excited giggle as he looked at her incredulously, and, with a faint bit of fear. _Ahaha! Could he be shy with women? A weakness I never expected from him, but amusing all the same! _"What is it?" she asked with a striking but false change in mood, her eyes growing big and wide and her lips poking out in a sad little pout. "Do you not think I'm pretty?" One of her many talents was crying on command, so it was nothing to will a few sparkling tears into her big brown eyes.

"What? I- no- of course- um," he began stammering uncontrollably. As his face turned the color of a tomato, Bonney simply couldn't help but begin chortling; oh, how easy it was to fluster him! "Y-you're a very striking young lady…" he admitted after repairing the short-circuit in his frazzled brain. Bonney squealed in delight and then all but jumped into his lap, hooking her long legs at either side of the chair while she pressed her lower abdomen against his. Drake's back slammed into the back of the chair in a pitiful effort to put distance between them, but the wooden structure prevented his escape. Chuckling darkly as her eyes glittered hungrily, she began running her nails lightly up and down his chiseled, exposed pectoral and abdominal muscles.

"Tell me, how do you get muscles like these? Your workout regimen must be brutal," she tutted in mock sympathy.

"What are you doing?" he growled through clenched teeth. Bonney clicked her tongue and lightly tapped the underside of his chin.

"Oh, lighten up, honey; it's just a bit of fun, like I said. What, do you not enjoy a strapping young fox like me on your lap? You want a little younger? Or a little older?" she asked tauntingly, using her Devil Fruit powers to alter her appearance in accordance to her questions. Drake had his head tilted back and eyes trained on the ceiling. Ah, his resistance was so much more satisfying than him drooling at her feet! His large hands suddenly jumped up to wrap firmly around her upper arms.

"This is _not_ my idea of _fun_." His tense growl was in direct opposite to the sneaking glance he shot at her cleavage. Bonney cooed like a dove, leaning forward to very purposefully press them against the X-mark tattooed to his chest. Her hand swept up to his head, knocking off his flared hat to begin teasing his styled golden-orange hair. "You are playing a dangerous game," he warned with a pointed look, but this time made no effort to cease her ministrations. Bonney bit down on her tongue, giving a pleased wriggle on his lap as he began to relinquish himself to her teasing clutches.

"I _love_ dangerous games," she breathed against his face, eyelashes fluttering like innocent butterflies. His fingers dug into the flesh of her upper arm as he wrestled with his own pride and self-control; she was having such a way with him so easily, so of course the poor thing was resisting it. A vein was bulging in his forehead from how hard he was trying to curb Bonney's temptations. Slowly, _very_ slowly, his hands loosened and slid down her slim arms to settle at the curved juncture of her waist and hips. "Atta boy, Drakey," she applauded, awarding him with another sensual fidget on her throne.

"I don't know who's the dangerous one here, me or you," he laughed dryly. The man was finally beginning to enjoy himself, judging from the deprecating leer he was wearing. Bonney snickered as she traced the X-shaped scar decorating his prominent chin.

"Definitely _me_." Her brown eyes flickered to the door of the kitchen as it was thrust open, and finally, finally, her birthday cake was ready. It was a massive specimen, made of four spongey tiers laden with buckets of thick white icing with gobs of bright pink icing painting the edges. It was covered in round rainbow sprinkles which were raining down onto the wooden floor as the three cooks hobbled towards the table, burdened by its massive weight. Bonney clapped her hands together with a trill of glee and whirled around so that her back was now resting against Drake's broad chest.

"Are you really going to eat all that?" he asked with obvious concern. Bonney tutted and reached behind her to pat his cheek.

"Oh, honey, you really do know _nothing_ about me. We'll have to amend that," she sighed deeply in play hurt. Her expression didn't convey that in the slightest, however; her starving eyes were like glittering smoky quartz as she licked her lips, beholding the ginormous birthday cake as it was slid onto the table, ripe for her taking. Bonney was not one for propriety; she wasn't going to take this baby a slice at a time. No sooner had the head chef handed her a large fork did she stab into the bottom tier of the cake, revealing the rich strawberry cake concealed beneath the curtain of white. She heard Drake choke as she shoveled a huge mass of the cake into her mouth. Instantaneously, she was delivered to the realm of sugary bliss. The strawberry cake was just the perfect texture and burst in sweet-tart sambas across her tongue, while the saccharine creamy icing waltzed in slower but no less powerful tunes in conjunction. With a small groan of pleasure, she melted against the very confused and confusingly aroused man seated beneath her petite frame. After the sweet fog cleared from her mind, she grinned devilishly and looked up at Drake, making quite a show of licking excess icing from the corner of her mouth.

"How cruel. You're going to make me sit here and watch while I get nothing?" The way his deep bass voice rumbled against her back was so nice to Bonney. Coyly, she pressed a finger to her lips as feigned mulling the prospect over. Of course, there was no way in hell she was going to sacrifice even one sliver of her birthday cake to him, at least not yet… But, there was a way she could spin the situation further into her favor.

"Oh, what to do? You have been _so_ generous in keeping me entertained, so perhaps I can let you have just a _little_ taste," she reasoned as she rolled her gaze around thoughtfully before landing on his face once more. Eyes trained on the smug and amused X Drake, she dipped a finger in the thick icing before smearing it all over her slightly puckered lips. His eyebrows shot up to the roots of his hair, and Bonney laughed delightedly while kicking the floor with the soles of her boots at the return of his bashfulness. He gulped and stared hard at the sweet icing decorating her soft and oh so very kissable lips. "What is it, Drakey?" she asked while twisting to the side to lounge against his thick arm, which was draped over the edge of the table. "You'd better hurry before I change my mind," she said while teasingly flicking the top of her bottom lip with the very tip of her tongue.

"You are a seductress," he snarled huskily at her in a blend of frustration and hilarity. Bonney arched her back into him as his face descended quickly over hers, hungry lips devouring hers in an instant. Bonney's hand played with his now-mussed tufts of ginger hair as his tongue greedily licked every trace of icing from her lips. Of course he didn't stop there; as Bonney laughed lightly, it dove into her mouth to tangle heatedly with her own, and she found the flavor of him mixing with the sweet taste of the icing to be simply immaculate. _Happy birthday to me~_

Bonney had ventured to this little hole-in-the-wall, backwater island for some simple birthday fun, but landing a big, tough, manly playmate for the night was definitely the icing on the cake…


	47. Breathless

Category: Romantic Fluff

Characters: Nami, Trafalgar D. Water Law

Requested By: searchfortheonepiece (Tumblr)

"Eh? A birthday party, for Law?" Nami blinked in confusion as Bepo's towering yet adorably fluffy form leaned over her with his massive paws pressed together in a placating, prayer-like gesture. It had only been two months since the crew had reunited on Saobody Archipelago and taken to the new world, but in that short timeframe, Luffy and the rest of the Straw Hats had landed themselves into oodles of trouble. In the midst of all that chaos, Luffy had secured (or kidnapped) an ally in Trafalgar D. Water Law, former Warlord of the Sea and well-known ruthless and irritable "Surgeon of Death." Only the Straw Hats and his own crew knew that beneath that tough exterior was a man who felt strongly and paraded his own sense of justice that was admirable (well, most of the time). He would never admit it, but he had really taken to Luffy- enough to travel alongside the _Thousand Sunny_ rather than splinter off to continue meandering down the Grand Line. The yellow submarine was moored to the ship by a contraption of Franky's, and so it was nothing for the crews to migrate between the two ships- such as this particular occasion, where Bepo had sought her own in her map room to beg her to help organize a surprise birthday party for his less-than-enthused captain.

"Yes! Captain has never been too enthusiastic about celebrating his birthday, but, we thought that if you guys planned it, he would be more inclined to relax and have a little bit of fun…" The Mink's tiny ears fluttered nervously atop his pure white head. Nami pushed herself away from her desk to swivel in her chair to face the anxious creature fully, tapping the end of her pencil against her lips. The Straw Hats were a partying bunch, and Law never really seemed to mind Luffy dragging him in to the festivities… He would likely interrogate his crew as to who leaked the information for a short minute, but Bepo was most likely right; it wouldn't be long before he resigned himself to Luffy's indominable will and enjoyed himself, at least a little- and also, Nami had her own motives.

To be brunt, Nami just loved teasing the hell out of Law. After all, she wasn't blind; tall, dark, brooding- he was like a gift sent from the gods. He was unlike any man she had ever met; rather than drooling at her feet and pandering for her affections, he played it completely cool, Nami's flirtatious remarks and lack-or-personal-space ammunitions bouncing right off him. He would always respond with baiting, sarcastic jibes that just had Nami's blood singing with the thrill of the chase. They had been keeping up that back and forth banter for almost two months, and almost everyone could tell that it was reaching its boiling point; they got into barking matches several times a day, leaving his smug smirk imprinted in Nami's mind. He was lounging around the deck far more often, too, and it wasn't unusual that _he_ started the petty exchanges instead of the vixen navigator. Poor Sanji was a jealous wreck who either ran off moping or tried to drop-kick Law in the side of the head, depending on his mood at the moment. Yes, the tension between them was stretched as thin as it could be, and it would take just one itty, bitty, little thing for the wire to snap and strike fires of lust into the both of him.

Alcohol was the best way to be rid of any inhibitions or sense- and where does one find alcohol? Straw Hat parties! Bepos became nervous for an entirely different reason as a twisted, malicious smirk spread across Nami's face like blood coiling through clear water.

"Don't worry, Bepo. Leave this _allllllll_ to me…" she cackled as a menacing aura bloomed around her head. The polar bear gulped and her door flapped wildly in his wake as he fled for the _Polar Tang_, likely regretting what he had just done…

* * *

Nami wished to God that she had a camera to capture the look on Law's face when the promised day came. Easing him out of the submarine was simple enough; after all, even Luffy would notice if his entire crew had been missing for an entire hour, and so little by little the Heart Pirates had slunk over to the _Thousand Sunny_ in preparation for the glorious event. As soon as Law's feet had hit the deck, the combined pirate crew had jumped out of every unassuming crevice on the spacious deck. Law immediately went for his Nodachi, all the blood draining from his face, and his hand only halted on its hilt when he clapped eyes on Bepo's lumbering hulk. His golden irises had flickered around in his eyeballs like a desperate fly frantic for a way out of a window. Then, to Nami's great glee, all the stages of grief washed over his exhausted form before he very quietly but bashfully muttered, "There better be booze."

Booze there was; the Straw Hats weren't skimpy, after all. Still, it did little to curb Law's annoyance at the grandiosity of it all- hundreds of colorful balloons, streamers and confetti poppers that left him constantly decorated with the rainbow ribbons and sparkly confetti no matter how many times he brushed it off, a ridiculously large cake with icing letters that denoted cute little messages from his crew. He hard stared hard at it for about twenty seconds when the gleeful Shachi and Penguin had unveiled the masterpiece, taking on that moonlight pallor again before pink began to creep up from his collar. He had whirled on his feet and pulled the brim of his fluffy hat over his eyes with a gruff approval, "Thanks." Nami's keen eyes just barely spied a light smile and a single stream of tears rolling down his cheek.

Big, bad, and brooding, but not unfeeling in the slightest. If anything, he felt far deeper than anyone else, and that's what Nami adored about him…

It didn't take long for everyone to get good and sloshed- well, mostly everybody. Zoro could drink entire towns dry and barely even develop a buzz, and Nami was on a mission, so she restrained herself. That wasn't saying much at all, considering she had her own hell of an alcohol tolerance (and, hey, liver cirrhosis was a pretty wimpy way to go). So, after drinking Shachi, Penguin, and even the mighty Ikkaku under the table in quick succession, Nami felt that familiar pleasurable hum in her nerves and confident haze in her mind; thus, she sat out to find her prey, leaving the three of them drooling and groaning on the grassy lawn of the ship in her tempestuous wake.

Law would always sit and drink with Luffy and the others for a while before his social meter would plummet and he would slink off for some solitude. However, there was never much variation on his part; there were only three places he ever snuck off to, the crow's nest, the viewing deck at the bottom of the ship, or the small area containing Nami's tangerine grove. The latter was his most common haunt and the closest, so the redhead checked there first. Luckily for her heel-clad feet, her intuition had been correct.

"Normally, Nami-ya, when a man sneaks off alone, he doesn't want to be bothered." His gruff greeting was belied by that audacious, teasing smirk that always managed to have her spin shivering some kind of good way. He was sitting on the small bench perpendicular to her aromatic mini-orchard of citrus plants, and surely the gods were having a time tempting her tonight, because he looked absolutely beautiful in the moonlight. His dark hair seemed to shine like obsidian as the rays caught on it, and his golden eyes glittered like melted gold beneath unreasonably thick lashes. The chiseled, exposed muscles of his chest and abdomen looked like they were hewn from pure sandstone, and Nami's eyes involuntarily traced the swirling heart patterns, so desperately wishing that it were her hands in their place. _Soon enough… _Nami smirked prettily and downed the last of her beer before tossing the bottle lazily aside, to give her some liquid courage. She was about to attempt to seduce the Surgeon of Death, after all, and though she was 98% sure he was interested, that 2% still presented a pretty dangerous gamble.

"The fact that you haven't Roomed me away yet implies that you don't mind being bothered," she countered with a girlish, airy chuckle. His eyebrows quirked as if to say, _"Oh, we're starting already?"_ Nami made sure to put a little extra sway in the sashay of her hips as she walked over to sit on the bench beside him, much closer than societal norms dictated; she was very aware of his piercing eyes trailing her movements all the while and coming to rest on her smirking face as she looked up at him.

"You've caught me. I'd be a fool to send away such gorgeous company," he grinned into his hand as he rested his chin into it; he was facing straight ahead, but those mesmerizing irises fixated on her through the corners of his eyes. "If I am to believes, this ridiculous party was all your doing?"

"Aye, sir. 'Twas all my doing," she purred and crossed her legs, the slit in her dress falling in just the right way to expose the silky skin of her upper thigh. Law's gaze flickered down to behold it for just a moment before snapping back up to meet her lidded brown ones once more- the eyes that were silently challenging, _"What're you gonna do about it?"_ "Come now, don't give me that look," she tutted as a disapproving expression formed on his features. "To be fair, I only did it because Bepo asked. Your crew- and ours- just wanted you to have a good time." He stared at her a second before the corner of his mouth began to creep up his face again.

"That so?" God, he had such a sultry voice. It made Nami weak in the knees just hearing it, regardless of if what he was saying was suggestive or not. "I don't think so, Nami-ya." He brought his face close, nose dancing right in front of hers and breath fanning her lips to deliver the faint hint of alcohol. "I think you had your own motives in all this."

"What? Motives? Me?" she feigned innocence, hand flying to her heart in a false display of coy shock.

"Mhmm. I think you were looking for an opportunity to corner a certain pirate captain by your beloved tangerine trees." Nami bit down slightly on her bottom lip at the so thinly veiled accusation, and Law's attentive eyes didn't miss the wiggle of her hips and the rubbing of her legs together.

"Oh? It sounds to me like a certain pirate captain was wishing to be cornered…" came her playful reply.

"Cutting to the chase tonight, are we, Nami-ya? Fine, then. Two can play that game." Nami yelped as the man suddenly leaped at her, bowling her over on the bench such that she was flat on her back. Her bright tangerine hair spilled about her like a halo, and Law's fingers slipped into the strands as one hand rested beside her head. The other had a firm but not painful grip at her waist, caging her in as he hovered above her like a tiger about to devour his prey. Admittedly, it was a little uncomfortable with the way her legs were situated; her hip was turned at a dramatic angle as both of them hung off the side of the bench, and she momentarily entertained the idea that she would much prefer them be wrapped around Law's slender waist. Still, Nami's mind did not amuse many thoughts, because her mind was fogged by the devastatingly handsome man pinning her to the wooden structure. His chest was just barely pressing against hers, but enough for him to feel every heaving breath she was sucking in- the action, though small, had sent a jolt of adrenaline blasting through her veins, literally stealing her breath away. The hand holding her hip suddenly rose to trace a light path over her cheekbone and down her jawline. Nami's eyes did not miss the nervousness clouding his golden eyes, the faint hint of concern that what he had just done had stepped over the line, and so she alleviated those hesitations by taking his hand to press kitten kisses over his fingertips. The approving groan that rumbled in his chest signaled the departure of any inhibitions he had about proceeding.

"I didn't think _I_ was the one who was going to get cornered," she snickered while looking up at him with a slight tilt of her neck. Jesus, that cocky smirk of his was going to be her undoing.

"You should know me well enough by now to know that I can turn the tables any time I choose." The way his chest shook against hers in a deep rumbling chuckle left her even shorter of breath; if he kept this up, he was going to have to shove an oxygen mask on her face. Nami merely swallowed, waiting for whatever move he was going to make; but, he didn't make one. He merely lay there, hovering over her with golden eyes like the brilliant sun itself, beholding her like _she_ was the figure of divinity when he was the one framed in the ethereal moonlight. The way his eyes wandered her, over her curling tresses of sunny orange hair, the smooth lightly tanned skin of her body, the pools of her chestnut-brown irises- the adoration and desire was unmistakable in those seraphic eyes of Trafalgar Law. Nami knew in that moment that his one and only wish was to cherish and worship her in sublime awe, in just the way she had been so sorely wanting. A man paraded for his unfeeling callous bloodthirstiness, regarding Nami as if she were the most beautiful angel sent from Heaven itself.

It was a reaction most unexpected that had Nami panting from the sheer radiance of it all. "Nami-ya…" the way he crooned her name automatically had her eyes fluttering up to meet his. "You haven't given me a birthday present yet. Quite _rude_, especially for a party host."

"And what does the great Trafalgar Law ask of little ol' me?"

"A kiss," he answered without missing a beat. Despite her fully knowing the answer that was going to come from his stupidly sexy smirking mouth, the instantaneous response sent a heat wave pulsing across her cheeks. Nami was not one to be bested in the art of teasing, however, and thus she put a finger to her pursed lips as she pretended mulling it over. She saw Law's eyes visibly darken at her provocative coquettishness. He brown eyes shifted to the canvas of night stunningly displayed behind him as she mocked consideration, before they flickered back to him with a small mewl of consent.

"As you wish, but just one," she said while holding up her finger. Law once more sprung at her with breath-steeling speed, his hand grabbing her raised wrist to trap it beside her head while his mouth swept over hers like a wave crashing upon a rocky shore. Nami's eyes fluttered shut as his impossibly soft lips melded over hers like they were simply made for each other. With a deep hunger and need, he ground his mouth against hers with enough force and fury to leave them bruised and aching. Nami's lips parted, desperate for a deeper, more sensual kiss, and his tongue eagerly complied to dive into her mouth and tangle with her own. Nami's head began swimming from both a lack of oxygen and the intoxicating taste of him, supplemented by the sharp tang of the alcohol he had been consuming. It was just one kiss, but Law sure used the hell out of it; by the time he finally released her, she was near respiratory arrest, her lips sore and achy but still wishing for more attention. When she finally regained her sassy wits, she huffed with a winded smile, "Happy birthday. Same time next year?"

"You are an _impossibly_ irritating woman." It would be an insult under normal circumstances, but the unmistakable amusement in his tone made Nami grin. She languidly circled her arms around his neck and pushed her fingers into those midnight threads of hair to curl them around her fingertips absentmindedly.

"Now, now, Law… If you'd asked _nicely_, I would've given you another one." Her eyes glittered like the glimmering stars above as she eyed him invitingly. His hand had still been holding her wrist the entire time, and it finally loosened its grip to run down her forearm to unabashedly cup one of her breasts. He didn't ask, because he didn't need to; with another snorting chuckle, his mouth melted over hers once more, softly and gently this time. Nami arched into him at his sweet caresses, eyes closing as her poor abused lungs began to weep at successive loss of oxygen…

Nami had never been so absolutely _breathless_, and this man before her had made off with it so very easily. She smiled into the kiss as sparks began to dance along her body, and she giddily wondered if she would survive the night without needing an oxygen mask… Good thing Law was a doctor.


	48. Some Sound Advice Part II

Category: Romantic Fluff

Characters: Sanji, Nami

Requested By: Anonymous (Tumblr)

"_That's it! Once we save Vivi's country, I'm gonna tell Nami how I really feel! For real, no holding back!" _

Sanji had proudly proclaimed that, and yet here he was, two days after the conclusion of the Albastan civil war/Baroque Works fiasco and still as deep in the friendzone as ever. He had tried to tell himself that Ace leaving wouldn't deter him from following through on his promise to finally confess his feelings to their smart, savvy, sexy navigator; however, every time he thought about approaching the girl, he stomach would twist up tight into pretzel knots. Whenever he did finally work up the courage to confess, Nami was surrounded by everybody and their mother, and there was no way in hell that she would take him seriously at all in that kind of setting. Groaning at his own indecision, he ran a hand over his scratched-up, bandaged face and gazed forlornly up at the stone ceiling of the castle room above. It was nighttime, and the moonlight filtering in through the curtained window did little to illuminate the dark hue of the hewn rock. A perfectly gloomy setting for a perfectly gloomy man.

_I can't sleep like this, _he thought indignantly. Slowly, muscles keening in protest, he pushed himself from the bed up into a sitting position. His body hadn't throbbed and ached like this since he had been caught in the avalanche on Drum Island and fractured his spine. He carefully turned his body this way and that and stretched his arms slightly above his head in an effort to alleviate some of the tautness in his muscle fibers, but it only dimmed the pain down to a moderate level. Annoying, but he would survive. He tossed the cotton sheets from his body and turned on the bed to hop down, feet slipping into some very comfy slippers that Vivi's staff had provided him. Dressed in only a pair of loose plaid-patterned pajama pants and a muscle tee, the insomnious, lovesick cook took to wandering the castle halls like a ghost chained to the physical plane by his lingering regrets.

Moonlight streamed in through the tall, skinny glass-paned windows, turning the crimson red of the hallway carpet to something reminiscent of coral. The gray stones around them, unlike those in Sanji's room though they were the same material, soaked up the white rays to glow a soft bright timber. This castle was just intent on making him depressed, apparently. He should've brought his cigarettes, but he had already turned the corner to head towards the grand staircase, so there wasn't much point in that. The red carpet washed over the ornate, mahogany-lined stairwell like a cherry-red waterfall, ending in a semicircular puddle at the base. The castle's entryway was lonely and empty, save for a pair of vigilant guards stationed at either side of the massive castle door. Sanji's eyebrow quirked as he noticed the sliver of white light slicing through the center of the looming wood; the door was cracked. His slippers slapped sloppily against the plush carpet as he tottered down the stairs and approached the guards.

"Is someone outside?"

"Oh, another one of the Straw Hats. The redhead girl- your navigator, I believe- asked to step out for a breath of fresh air in the courtyard garden, so we kept the door open so we could keep an eye on her. There are still plenty of bitter citizens and Baroque Works goons lingering around, so we would hate for something to happen to her," the guard to his left reported. Sanji dipped his head respectfully to him in thanks before slipping through the small gap in the door to walk outside. His heart rate had jumped into an exponential upward slope; was this the chance he had been so desperately waiting for?Already, the cowardice was beginning to leak into his veins, rapidly washing away the adrenaline. He clenched the fabric of his tee into his fingers with gritted teeth. _No way you're backing down this time, Sanji. Do it! _

The desert night was a beautiful one. The air was cool but not overbearingly so, a comfortable temperature range supplemented by a refreshingly chill breeze. The night sky was unobstructed by clouds, not even one small, puffy wisp, allowing the full brilliance of the Milky Way to emblazon the dark sky like diamonds studded into black velvet. The moon was shining with such intensity that it was ringed with luminescence, and she poured all her force into bathing the world below her with glowing white water. The castle garden was brilliantly illuminated; the white stones of the walkway and balustrades shone like they were constructed of moonstone itself. The green of the grass blades and bush and tree leaves took on a dark emerald sheen, their waxy surfaces reflecting the light just like smooth gems of jade would. The flowers were all painted pastel, white and blue and yellow and pink all transformed by the moonlight's touch. It was not this sentimental sight that stole Sanji's breath from his lungs, however.

There she was, seated on the stone of a rounded flowerbed, back to him and face upturned to the stars above. Her tangerine hair blazed atop her head in a tiny messy bun that resembled a candle's flickering flame to his eyes. Her tanned skin looked like coffee with cream in the moonlight. The simple yellow nightgown that snugly hugged her body in its bodice to only flare out in draping waves over her legs made her seem like a contemplative goddess or angel in his undeserving mortal eyes. Seeing her, so ethereal and otherworldly, sent that jolting spark of fear through his body once more. He gulped loudly, shuffling back against the entryway to retreat back into the castle.

Some deity was looking out for him that night, because Nami heard him, and glanced over her shoulder to stare at him with those brown eyes that made Sanji nearly melt into a puddle every single time they were cast onto him.

"Sanji?" she blinked, and then her curious expression relaxed into one of sympathetic understanding. "Can't sleep either, huh?"

"Aha, yeah, no," he laughed nervously while rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. When he looked back to her, she was lightly patting the stone block beside her invitingly. Sanji's back stiffened like a steel rod as his heart bounded into his throat, but his feet knew how to function well enough, because they carried him over to her. With all the grace of a golem clumsily carved of iron, he eased himself onto the stone beside her. His fingers twitched excessively against the meat of his thighs in his body's effort to dissipate the insane amount of nervous energy flooding his system and preventing essential functions, like blinking and breathing.

"Did you have a nightmare or something? You look tense," Nami asked worriedly. He was about to refute the statement but she leaned over to peer into his face, and whatever reply he was going to utter dried up along with the rest of his mouth. He only opened and closed his mouth stupidly at her, the desert heat of his mouth rising across his cheeks in the form of a dust-cloud blush.

"Er… No… I just tweaked one of my wounds, is all, and I'm just waiting for it to settle down," he lied lamely. Nami blinked those pretty eyes of hers, then shrugged and turned back to her stargazing. He breathed an uneven sigh and cursed himself at his pitiful performance. He was the smoothest lady-killer on the Grand Line, for crying out loud; he was capable of acting like the most suave knight under pressure, and here he was bungling it like a tween on his first date. He swept a hair through his tousled blonde likes, streaking it with a thin shimmer of sweat. _Come on, Sanji, get yourself together. You've gotten father than all your previous attempts, _he reminded himself. It actually did boost his confidence slightly. "Actually, Nami-swan," he began uncertainly, then compulsively cleared his throat. "Th-there's something that's been on my mind."

"What is it?" She looked back at him with a radiantly sweet smile that made his heart clench inside his chest. "You can tell me!" She was so perfectly innocent that Sanji almost felt as if he were about to taint her with his pending admission. He inhaled sharply through his nose and closed his eyes as he breathed out, steeling his jittery nerves. Regardless of how it ended, he had made a vow to confess to her, and he wasn't the type of man to quail on his word. He opened his eyes to stare fixedly at her.

"Nami… I love you."

The words hung in the air like they were suspended on strings, weighty yet unmoving. Nami's expression was alarmingly blank. Unblinking brown eyes fixated on his own, shaking in their sockets as the tension mounted in his body waiting for her response. His stream of consciousness began to fly like a runaway train, wondering if he had made the wrong decision and their friendship would be ruined or even if she would slap him silly. Finally, after what seemed like ten life ages, she released a tremulous breath.

"You… Really mean that, don't you?" Before he could answer, she cupped a hand to her mouth and looked down at her feet, eyes searching the stone desperately for her next words. Sanji swallowed anxiously; he hadn't been sure what he had been expecting, but this was not what he had been hoping for. He immediately moved to get up.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything. Of course you wouldn't-"

"No!" she demanded, head whipping around. She grabbed his bicep with both her hands to yank him so hard she could've jerked his shoulder out of socket, and he stumbled gracelessly back against the stone. Confused sputters of her name fell from his mouth, but before he could get the chance to arrange a coherent sentence, Nami grabbed his face roughly to wrench him into a heated, sloppy open-mouthed kiss. It took his already frazzled brain a moment to process the chain of events, but when he did, the shade of his face matched the crimson rugs of the palace behind them. When she pulled back, their lips separated with a slight pop with how tightly they had been pressed together. Sanji's shoulders slouched loosely to mirror the complete slack of his jaw as he gawked stupidly at her. "A-ahem," she cough uneasily as she wiped her lips with her wrist, "There's your answer."

Sanji wasn't sure what he wanted to do- cry tears of joy, do a happy dance, run off and tell Zoro that he had won that stupid bet ages ago that he was gonna win Nami's heart; there were so many possibilities his brain was unable to choose, and so he just continued to sit there with that rosy blush and absolutely moronic smile on his face. "Sanji? Oh, God, did I kill all the neurons you had left?"

"I'm okay!" With a dog-like shake of his entire body, he was finally able to right the sparking electrical pathways in his brain into working order, and his hands flew up to grasp one of hers endearingly. "I'm so relieved, Nami-swan!" he said as he heaved a sigh to dislodge the last of the lingering weight that had been burdening his shoulders for days. Nami gave him a slightly amused, crooked smile as she snorted in laughter. She was so cute it sent his heart into dangerously fast palpitations. "Em, Nami?"

"Yes?"

"Can we do that again? I really don't want our first kiss to be me just being a dumbass…" Nami laughed airily at his request, then gave him a smile that rivaled the shining move above, her eyes scrunched up in unbridled affection and joy. That was invitation enough, so with a pleased smirk, he leaned forward to claim her lips in a sweet, chaste, passionate kiss that he was going to engrave in his memory for the rest of time…


	49. Lost and Found

_**Author's Note: **__Hello, all! I'm pleased to announce that this collection now has an associated Spotify playlist. If you have the time, please check out by searching the playlist name provided in the index. Unfortunately, you cannot post clickable links in stories :c PM me if you have trouble finding it!_

Category: Friendship Fluff, Mild Romantic Fluff

Characters: Nami, Monkey D. Luffy, Red-Haired Shanks

Requested By: farrah87 (Ao3)

Nami frowned slightly as she squeezed the tangerine hanging amongst the piney-green leaves, the branch bounding up and down a little as she tested the firmness of the succulent citrus fruit. Deciding that the fruit was quite ripe, she plucked it from its perch to drop it into the woven basket hanging in the crook of her arm, which was filled with its freshly-picked brethren. _I think I got all the ones that are ready to be harvested! _She thought in accomplishment. She straightened up and walked to the balustrade overlooking the main deck of the ship, leaning her hip against it as she absorbed the picturesque image of the _Thousand Sunny_ carving through the waves of the New World. They had surfaced from Fishman Island yesterday and were sailing on towards their next destination, which was waiting to be discovered. The sea breeze was consistent but not overbearing, and the salt crystals it carried in its swirling air mingled well with the aromatic tang of her citrus trees. She breathed in the perfume deeply, its aroma relaxing her entire body. It sure was a lovely day….

That is, until a cannonball came screaming out of nowhere and damn near took her head off.

"What the hell?!" she shrieked with an instinctive dive to the floor. The basket jumped from her arm, sending her freshly-picked tangerines rolling across the deck of the rocking ship and bouncing down the steps. One of them exploded under Zoro's boot as he came running out from within the confines of the ship, making him curse loudly as the acidic juice splashed up its shiny black surface.

"Nami? Are you okay up there?"

"Besides nearly getting my head taken off, I'm just peachy, thank you!" she yelled down sarcastically, face pressed into the wooden beams of the railing to glare out at the massive ship that was rapidly approaching from their starboard side. Nami was just barely able to spy the Jolly Roger flapping wildly in the wind, and all the color instantly drained from her face when she recognized it. "Luffy! It's _Blackbeard_!" she hollered up to her captain, who had sprung from his normal perch on the figurehead to stretch his arms up and hang from the high sails of the mast.

"What? What the hell is he doing here?!" Luffy's growl was absolutely animalistic; he was making no attempt to shield the sheer amount of rage that was boiling up in his body right now. Not that Nami could exactly blame him, considering that Blackbeard was more or less directly responsible for his brother Ace's death. The approaching ship slung to the side, bearing its port side for them to see, and there was the man in question standing on the railing with his hand wrapped into the netting, other hand brandishing a saber while he guffawed evilly. "What do you want, you ugly bastard?"

"Is that any way to greet an old friend, Straw Hat?" Blackbeard sneered. Even from her considerable distance, she could see the gunk in his teeth, and her nose scrunched up in disgust. His grotesque appearance sure matched the blackness of his heart.

"You're no friend of mine! Get over here so I can kick your ass!"

"Sorry, Straw Hat, I didn't come to play. I'm here to pick up my ticket to conquering the New World, thank you very much," he scoffed, and Nami gasped as he pointed the end of his sword directly towards where she was still sprawled on her belly on the upper deck of the ship. _Me? Of course! He wants my navigational skills… _she thought, a hard pit of dread rolling into a ball in the depths of her belly. As soon as the words left Blackbeard's mouth, Luffy flung himself from the mast to land in a crouch in front of her, hand on the top of his hat to keep it from flying away. Nami was looking at his back, but from the way his shoulders were hunched nearly up to his ears, she could only imagine the murderous glare that was distorting his features right now.

"No way in hell. Nami is _my_ navigator!" He snarled lowly. With a grunt, Zoro vaulted over the balustrade to land on her right side, while Sanji air-walked over it to land on her left. Across the main deck, the rest of the crew had taken up battle positions. Though the ball of fear was continuing to eat away at her stomach, Nami smiled, comforted by how fiercely loyal her crew was. She pushed herself to her feet and snatched her Climatact from her thigh, attaching the three parts to stand within the triangle of the three men.

"If you want me, you'll have to come and get me, Blackbeard! I'll never go with you! I'm going to make Luffy the Pirate King!" she challenged haughtily. Sure, Blackbeard was a Warlord now, but it wasn't like they hadn't taken down one before. _I have faith in Luffy and the others! _

"Nami, sit this one out," Luffy ordered, and before she could protest, he turned around to drop his straw hat atop her hat. It was still too big for her, and she gasped as the brim fell down in front of her eyes. She pushed it up with a hand to give him a quizzical and almost hurt look. Did he not think she could hold her own against the Blackbeard Pirates, even after all this time? He gave her that stupid grin of his, the one that made his eyes scrunched up and cheeks rosy. "I wanna kick Blackbeard's ass hard right now, but I know we're not ready yet. I need you to focus on getting us outta here while we keep him busy, 'kay? Can you do that for me?" Nami blinked in utter surprise. Luffy, backing down from a fight? She smiled warmly, her heart fluttering a little in her chest. _He's really matured since back then, huh? _It seemed he had taken the lessons he had learned at Marineford to heart. She pushed the straw hat down onto her head with a firm nod.

"Leave it to me! Now, you three go give 'em a smackdown!"

"_Right_!" they chimed in unison. As the to crews of pirates leaped at each other, clashing in mid-air, Nami skirted down the stairs to run down to the helm. Unfortunately for them, there was no wind to aid in their escape, but that wasn't a problem for a weather master such as herself. Using her trusty weapon, she generated a fierce gale, billowing out the stagnant sails to send the ship surging forward. "Chopper! Evasive maneuvers!" she shouted to the reindeer. In his battle form, he lunged for the wildly spinning wheel to grab it and wrench it into place, sending the ship whirling to port and pulling it away from Blackbeard's ship. Zoro, Sanji, and Luffy landed safely back on the upper deck, the latter adding insult to injury by sticking down his tongue and pulling down his bottom eyelid childishly.

"After them!" she heard Blackbeard howling angrily. Nami continued to send wind blasting into the sails, driving up the ship's speed knot by knot. It began to jump over the waves, sending white foam spray splashing up the sides of the ship yards into the air. She glanced over her shoulder to see Blackbeard's ship in hot pursuit, much closer than she would like thanks to the countless oars plowing through the ocean on either side. _Probably a buncha muscle-bound freaks, _she thought with a groan as she pushed another gale into the sails. Her winds were slowly approaching hurricane force, and she had to make sure not to cross that threshold, lest she rip the sails apart and destroy their only hope of salvation.

"Damn! They're catching up!" Zoro cursed from overhead. _Dammit! It's not enough? _She lamented silently. There was the harsh grating of wood-on-wood as Blackbeard's ship pulled back along their starboard and the oars scraped against the side of the _Thousand Sunny_ with harsh squeals. Nami clenched her teeth and went to send another gale-force wind into the sails, hoping beyond hope that they could prevail, but suddenly her Climatact stopped short over her head.

"What?!" she cried, looking up to see someone's scarred fist wrapped around the middle of her weapon. Her eyes widened as she tilted her head further back to see a dastardly grin and harsh black eyes bearing down on her.

"That's enough games."

"Nami! Get away! He's got some kinda teleporting power!" Luffy yelled from where he was tangled up in the netting of Blackbeard's ship attempting to kick him in the face with one flip-flopped foot. Nami abandoned her Climatact and sprung away, but was caged right up against the mast by his overbearing presence. _I can't get away! If he teleports with me, it's all over! _She thought wildly, knees buckling together in fear. She didn't want to join Blackbeard's crew. She would rather die. Her nails dug into the coarse rope wrapped around the bottom of the mast as he took slow, deliberate steps towards her.

"Be a good little girl and just let me take you away, yeah? We'll even let your little friends live," he crooned with a crooked-tooth smile. His arms were held out on either side of him, in the perfect position to grab her if she attempted to run. Nami spied her Climatact discarded a few feet behind him.

She only had one shot.

With a shout, she dove straight for him, then spun on her heel to crouch down and duck under his outstretched arm. Once again, she landed on her belly, but quickly snatched up her Climatact to roll onto her back. The wood was already charging up to release a thunderstorm, but the man was too quick; just as the lightning ball exploded from the end of her staff, he grabbed her arm. He screamed as he effectively electrocuted, and Nami screamed too as the electricity traveled through his arm into her own body. It was an ungodly pain unlike anything she had ever experienced, all the muscles in her body convulsing and locking up at once as the lightning wracked her system. Then, suddenly, they were blasting apart, and Nami had the sensation that she was flying… Everything around her faced into smeared colors, and over the roaring of what seemed like wind, she could hear the man yelling to Blackbeard that his power had short-circuited on him…

Then, Nami was in the water. She landed in the great blue ocean with a splash, the waves rolling over her as if they were trying to swallow her up. She somersaulted a few feet below the surface before she managed to recover, stiff muscles jerking as she righted herself. The salt water stung her eyes as she instinctively tried to peer around; all she could see was the endless dark blue and swirls of bubbles. Suddenly, she caught sight of the straw hat floating in the water, and she grabbed it to hold it close to her chest. Cheeks puffed out as she tried to hold the little breath she had managed to save, she kicked for the surface. As soon as her head broke the water, she sucked in greedily, only to scream as another large wave closed in on her. She was shoved back under by the force of the crashing water. Her legs kicked out wildly as she spun like clothes in a washing machine. Her lungs began to burn with the lack of oxygen, and she desperately fought her way back up, clawing through the water to break free. She cried out for help on impulse, near tears. The man's teleport must have backfired and sent her out into the middle of the sea, alone, helpless. She battled the tow of the water with weak arms, her vision blurred and bleary from the salt burning in her watering red eyes.

"Luffy! Luffy, where are you? Help me!" she wailed pitifully. Her hands slapped at the water as she pathetically tried to stay afloat. Her body suddenly got the sensation that she was being tugged backward, and she turned around. Her face went pale as she was barely able to make out the form of a rapidly oncoming wave, bigger than the previous. Nami would not be able to survive another onslaught; she would be pushed under and sink, sink to the bottom of the sea, never to be found… "Luffy… I wanted… to see you… become Pirate King," she sniffled as she retreated in on herself, so small in the vastness of the unforgiving sea…

"Gotcha!" She yelped as she was suddenly jerked out of the water by the back of her dampened tee-shirt. Wrenched up like a kitten by its scruff, she could only dangle uselessly as she was seemingly hauled up into the sky by the angels delivering her to Heaven. That was odd. Nami was a cat thief. Could cat thieves even get into Heaven? Then, with her hazy vision, she could make out the wave crashing into the sturdy side of a ship. _I'm saved! _She couldn't help but begin crying with relief. The tears mixed with the saltwater on her face as she was hauled up the side of the ship and deposited in a sopping mess on the deck. Somehow, she had managed to hold on to Luffy's straw hat all that time. Clutching it over her heart like it was life itself, she threw back her head as she sobbed. Nami's pride was thrown out the window for a minute or so; she had pretty much almost died. The blurry forms of her rescuers just watched her as she tried to piece the shattered fragments of her mental state back together. It was just as she was beginning to think that she may have jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire when a man crouched down in front of her and patted her reassuringly on the top of her head.

"There, there, you're safe now. There's no need to cry!" Nami snorted the snot back into her nose and blinked a few times, her vision gradually clearing to form the visage of a red-haired man with three parallel scars through his eye. One of his sleeves flapped emptily in the wind, betraying that he was one-armed, too. All in all, he looked like he could be a bloodthirsty, strong pirate, but the serene smile on his face put her at ease. The smile reminded her so much of Luffy's. "Atta girl. Tell me, how did one of Luffy's crewmates end up stranded in the middle of the New World, hmm?" Nami gasped at his familiar use of her captain's name. He was looking down at the straw hat. She grimaced and turned her body away from it to hold it protectively. "Oh, don't get the wrong idea! I'm the one who gave it to him, that's all. I would recognize it anywhere." Nami gasped again; could it be?

"Are you… Red-Haired Shanks?"

"Yup! That's me, in the flesh!" he laughed good-naturedly. He was an Emperor, but he carried himself so leisurely… Surely, if he was Luffy's benefactor, then no harm would come to her. She relaxed slightly, turning back to him.

"Blackbeard attacked us… He wanted me to be his navigator. One of his crewmates has eaten some kind of Devil Fruit that allows him to teleport, and while I was trying to get away from him, it malfunctioned somehow and I ended up out here," she reported with a wobbling bottom lip. Who knew how far away she ended up? At this point, they all had vivre cards and Luffy would be able to find her- if he escaped Blackbeard, that is. What if Blackbeard had stolen her vivre card and was now in pursuit instead? Her dismay must've been evident in her expression, because Shanks chuckled and patted her on the head again.

"I know what you must be thinking. Don't worry! That Luffy is a strong one. Blackbeard'll have a hard time dealing with him now that he's pissed his cute little friend has been spirited away!" Nami flushed lightly as his unveiled flirtatiousness. Shanks huffed and pushed himself back to his feet, hand on his hip as his cloak fluttered to reveal a muscular physique. _He really is strong, _Nami thought in awe. _No wonder Luffy reveres him so… _"All right, men. There's a chance that that punk Blackbeard isn't far away, so let's be on our guard, yeah? In the meantime, let's treat, uh-"

"Nami."

"Let's treat Nami here as our special guest, okay?" The crew cheered excitedly before scattering off the prepare for Blackbeard's potential attack, while a few of them gathered around her. One of them handed her a towel which she gratefully accepted and began drying herself off. Shanks lounged lazily alongside her, leaned up against the railing while side-eyeing her in amusement. "So, what are you to him?"

"I'm his navigator."

"Oh, jeez, he'll never be able to find us without you then, huh?" Nami giggled as she dried her sopping tangerine hair with the towel. He was totally right; if Luffy had been on his own, there wasn't a snowball's chance in Hell that he would be able to track her down, even with her vivre card.

"He'll be all right. He's got plenty of dependable people with him." A smile appeared on his face at her comment, and he tilted his head back to look at the clear blue sky above. He didn't say it aloud, but Nami could tell just from that look that he was very relieved to hear it. "Can I give Luffy a call on the transponder snail?" she asked. If she had been teleported away, there was a pretty good chance that Blackbeard had abandoned the assault and was trying to track her down. She wanted to at least let him know where she was and that she was safe… It would be a relief for him to know. Shanks smiled graciously and replied with a simple "Sure," then lead her into the captain's quarters, where a transponder snail was snoozing on a table. She sat in the chair and dialed the number which she knew by heart. It took him less than two seconds to answer.

"Nami?! Is that you?! Where are you?! Are you okay?!" he shouted incessantly into the snail. Nami chuckled lightly as giddy relief flooded through her. She was so glad he was all right, and even a little bit happy he was so worried over her.

"I'm all right. I was teleported into the middle of the ocean, but I was picked up by someone. I think you'll be interested to hear," she said and held out the receiver to Shanks, who was grinning stupidly.

"What's up, Luffy? How ya been?"

"YOOOOOOOO! SHAAAAAANKS!" Luffy howled maniacally, and they both cringed as a few loud bangs blasted through the phone-like apparatus. "Ah, crap, ow- I have so much to tell you, Shanks!" Though he would like to chatter amiably about Luffy's goings-on, there was business to be handled; Shanks expression suddenly turned deadly serious.

"Luffy. Where is Blackbeard now?"

"As soon as that asshole sent Nami off somewhere, they bolted. I figured that teleport-bastard knew where he sent Nami off by accident. Right now I'm followin' Nami's vivre card, but their ship is much faster. Even when we used the burst-thingy, they caught up to us again," Luffy groaned. She could almost envision the frustrated, disappointed look on his face. _No doubt, Franky'll be making speed mods to the ship, _she thought with a small sigh. Shanks' grimace only deepened.

"So, they'll get here first…" he muttered, then smiled slightly. "Don't worry about Nami, Luffy. My crew and I will protect her. By the time you get here, Blackbeard'll have run off with his tail between his legs and I'll have a party ready!" From the background, Nami could hear Zoro grumble that there better be plenty of booze and Sanji ask if there were going to be pretty ladies. Nami jumped violently as the unmistakable _boom_! of a cannonball crashing into the water beside the ship rocked the wooden structure and sent a cup full of pencils skittering to the floor. "Whoops, looks like they're here already. Time to go."

"Aw, but Shanks-"

"Later. Gotta protect your cute little girlfriend, am I right?" Shanks laughed. Nami blanked for a second at the sheer audacity of his statement, then began screeching wildly that there was no such relationship between them. Shanks laughed heartily as he all but skipped out the room, and Nami groaned loudly, putting her forehead in her hand as a headache began to pound in her frontal lobe.

"Hey, Nami?" She blinked. Luffy sounded awfully serious. "Shanks'll protect you, you know. So just hold on 'til we get there."

"I know," she said with a small smile. "See you soon, Luffy." He didn't say anything else, only hung up. Nami stared mutely at the beeping receiver. She had almost wished for him to say something, but she wasn't sure what. She sat in the room, listening to the din of battle pounding through the walls outside. She was suddenly sleepy, likely from all the excitement of the day. With the towel serving as her blanket, she laid her head on her arms on the desk, eyes drooping as weariness washed over her just like the crashing waves she had been at the mercy over not twenty minutes before. _Luffy… I'm waiting… for you…_

* * *

"Nami? Hey, it's all over." Shanks' voice was soft enough to slowly pull her from unconsciousness, rather than jerking her out. Eyes fluttering tiredly, she sluggishly sat up in the chair, rubbing at the red spot that had bloomed on her cheek where it had been pressed down against her arm.

"Whahappen'?" she groaned listlessly.

"It took Blackbeard all of ten minutes to realize he had been outclassed and he took off," Shanks reported with a prideful puff of his chest. "I came back in here and you were asleep, so I let you rest for a little while, but Luffy should be here soo-"

He didn't even get to finish the sentence before said pirate captain was heard hollering for her outside, flip-slops slapping around wildly as he interrogated everyone in the vicinity without waiting for an answer. Abruptly wide-awake, Nami jumped from the chair and charged past Shanks to crash out the door, chest heaving as she looked around wildly for her captain. He was standing amongst the shocked crouched, fists called up and face flushed and panting heavily. Tears immediately flooded her eyes as she locked eyes on him, and without thinking, she flung her entire body at him with her arms outstretched.

"_Luffy_!"

"Nami!" She was going to fall several feet short of him, but he stretched out his arms to wind them tightly around her waist and pull her into his chest so hard that he actually stumbled back a few paces. She instantly threw her arms around his neck and began to sob into his chest.

"Ungh," she sniffed miserably, "I was so scared! I was all alone so suddenly, and I was drowning, and I didn't know what had happened to you!" she cried into his X-shaped scar. He ran a hand over her still-damp curls of hair to smooth it down before laying his cheek against the crown of her head.

"Don't worry, Nami. I won't lose you like that ever again- never, ever, _ever_!" To affirm his words, he tightened his already crushing grip around her, but she didn't mind; in his embrace, she felt safe and warm and cherished. _My captain… _she thought adoringly. Luffy suddenly let out a strangled yelp, and she looked up to see his neck stretched as his head was pushed aside by Sanji's booted foot.

"What the hell are you doing, hugging on Nami-swan like that? Damn it, Luffy! Oh, Nami-swan, I'm so relieved you're okay~" He trilled, changing moods in a matter of a second. Luffy snarled and chomped down on the toe of his shoe, but the material was rubbery and slick, so he just slobbered on it like a mangy mutt. It did prompt Sanji to pull back, only for him to kick him in the back of the head with his other foot. "Don't slobber all over my foot like some kinda dog!"

"Then don't kick me! What did I do?!"

"You're still doing it! Let go of Nami-swan, you swine!"

"No! Dun wanna!" he asserted and hugged her protectively. Nami giggled and snuggled shamelessly into him. His embrace was just so warm and comforting…

"Yo, so where's the booze?" Zoro asked with a yawn as he walked up behind Sanji, hand resting lazily on the hilts of his swords. Shanks had been watching the exchange the entire time with a look between bemusement and amusement, but then began laughing heartily.

"Looks like you found yourself a good crew, Luffy… And a cute little girlfriend~"

"Eh? Nami's my navigator."

"Take that back! I don't care if you're an Emperor! I'll pound you into dust, Red-Hair!" Sanji yowled as blazing fires alighted in his eyes. Shanks laughed lightly and held up his hands in a placating gesture, side-stepping the cook's kicks while trying to talk him down. The ship was already incredibly lively though the Straw Hats had only just stepped foot on it… Chaos really did follow them everywhere. Luffy grunted and pressed his face into Nami's hair again, still holding her tight with his strong, capable arms. She became aware that she was still holding his straw hat. It was due time for it to return to its owner. Reaching around his arm, she lifted hers up to drop it down onto his black hair.

"Here, this belongs to you."

"What? Oh, right, thanks." Nami's heart clenched in her chest a little. Had he really been so worried about her that he had forgotten all about his treasure? To hide her blush, she buried her face further into him. Nami recalled the feeling of when they first met… She had been lost then, mentally lost, and suddenly she had felt like she had been found. Somehow, she was feeling like that all over again. "Nami," he whispered while squeezing her again, "I promise, I won't lose you again…" he repeated, voice husky with feeling. Nami shook her head into his body.

"No, Luffy, it's okay… No matter what, you'll always find me again, right?"

"Of course."

Nami had nothing to worry about. Her captain would always come for her, no matter what.

If she was lost, she could always be found.


	50. Dependable

Category: General Fluff

Characters: Nami, Monkey D. Dragon, Sabo

Requested by: farrah87 (Ao3)

The detached pieces of Nami's Climatact bounced lightly in the holster on her thigh as she strolled merrily through the cobblestone streets of the lively port town. The market district crammed as many little shops as possible in the available space; though this particular street was very short, it boasted a butcher, a fish market, a bakery, a vegetable and fruit stand, a potter store, a jewelry shop, a boutique, and a hat shop all in very close proximity. The alleyways between them were wide enough only to allow for small silver trash bins; so thin they were that the mangy alley cats nearly had to walk single-file, she imagined. The close quarters of course made the crowd seem all the more packed; Nami had to weave through the patrons, bumping shoulders and kicking tows with chiming choruses of polite "Excuse me's" and "I'm sorry's." If Nami didn't know that they would have to take more than one day to stock, this would be a pickpocket's gold mine; alas, she didn't want to run the risk of them being chased from the port town prematurely.

Their forces had been split between Zou and Whole Cake Island. Currently, the squad that had elected to retrieve the falsely-renegade Sanji were on track to reunite with their fellows but had stopped at an intermediate island to restock. Their provisions had been split between the two crews, and the encounter with Big Mom had been a huge strain on their supplies, particularly their medical provisions. It would take at least two days to gather everything they needed, so Nami decided- begrudgingly- to ignore her twitching fingers which were eager to pluck every jewel, Belli, and expensive watch that pranced teasingly in her vision. _Maybe tomorrow, _she told them. It did little to settle their excitement. She would have to find something else to occupy her mind for a while, lest she give in to their temptation.

Nami had spied it from the crow's nest of the _Thousand Sunny_; the island they had stopped at was a strange half-and-half arrangement of bustling industry and natural radiance. She meandered her way northward through the labyrinthine arrangement of docks and shops and houses until it suddenly all fell away, the cobblestone melting into dirt roads and the concrete crackling with shoots of grass that were slowly invading their way south. Tall, towering stone structures yielded to wooden cabins spaced further and further apart, until acres of farmlands and untended wilderness stretched between them. Nami graciously breathed in the welcoming aroma of wildflowers and tree sap and sunny grasses; as soon as she had spied the green expanse beyond the boring smear of gray, Nami knew she had wanted to visit. The gentle countryside reminded her so much of home, after all- of Cocoyashi Village, so far away in the East Blue.

She veered from the dirt path to walk into the wild grasses. Giddy to have a visitor, they fought each other to kiss her bare calves and knees, tickling her in greeting. The wildflowers all turned to her to shout wildly, begging her to choose which was prettiest. Nami suddenly giggled aloud and whirled on her heel with her arms outstretched. She fell into the country's embrace, allowing the green grasses to curl around her to hug her with feather-soft touches. The little aphids and large grasshoppers leapt into the air as they were startled by her arrival, bounding in the fresh open air above her head to seek shelter. Through the patches of waving green, the blue sky blazed above her with sailing ships of clouds trawling through its expanse. She reclined her arms behind her head. The sun's warm ways washed over her skin to make it glow and hum. She had missed this; lying in the grasses with naught a care in the world while the world sheltered her. What a faraway dream that was.

Nami laid in the grass for quite a long while, listening to the symphony nature played for her. The wind flew over the scenery like a diving eagle, shaking the leaves and grasses in thunderous cacophony. Flower petals and grass blades and tree leaves arched into the air in its wake to shower Nami in natural confetti. Every so often a songbird would flit from one tree line to the other, chirping in greeting. A deer wandered out to nibble at the long grasses, its fawn skipping around beside it, before quickly descending back into the safety of the darkness. Nami watched a wee snail slowly ascend the hiking trail of a grass blade, bending it under its weight when it reached the pinnacle, its slimy antennae wiggling as it considered its next challenge. It could have been minutes, hours, or even years that Nami laid there silently enjoying the atmosphere that she had sorely missed, but every moment she was there, she could almost hear Nojiko calling her name, or Ginzo yelling at her to get her lazy bum up and work, or Bellemere calling her home for dinner…

The last image sent bitter acid flooding over her tongue. Nami sat up so quickly that her vision became static with headrush. Holding her forehead while waiting for the grainy black-and-white fuzz to fade, her contentment threatened to be overtaken by melancholy.

"I suppose I should be getting back." She knew not who she was speaking to. Perhaps, subconsciously, she wanted to bid the area farewell in thanks for allowing her to bask in its presence for a while. Once the tingling had diminished, she pushed herself to her feet. Dead grass and dirt showered down from her back and shoulders; she took a moment to brush off her clothes and comb through her long tresses of tangerine hair. She didn't want to walk back into the town looking like a wild thing, after all.

Though she had been gone at least several hours, the town was still just as busy- if not more so. It was the height of the afternoon, and it seemed to be prime shopping hour. Nami decided that traversing the main roadways was going to be hell and skirted into the alleyways instead, thinking that it would serve as a shortcut. Unfortunately, even her navigational sense was thwarted by the unusual arrangement of the cross-crossing small passageways, and very soon she found herself lost. "This way? No, I remember that graffiti… Damn it, I can't even find the main roads from here," she lamented aloud. She had wandered deep into the packaging district, it seemed; the crowds of the shopping strip were not even a distant hum on the air. She stopped at a crossroads as she contemplated how to approach her dilemma, foot tapping and hand on her chin. That was when a couple of drunk thugs stumbled out of the back door of a bar, hooting and hollering and the picture of hooligans.

_It's not even three o' clock and they're this sloshed? People really must not have anything better to do. _She decided to ignore them; they were going to be useless when it came to directions, and of course Nami was the type they would hassle. As she tried to turn away, her heel clicked a little too loudly against the flagstone and alerted them to her presence. _Great. _

"Hey, honey!" one of them hollered at her while the other two began wolf-whistling at her repeatedly. "Are you lost? Or lookin' for a good time?"

"I'm just fine, thank you. Go back to destroying your livers."

"Oh, she's feisty!" Ugh, great, they were shambling towards her now. Nami instinctively reached for her Climatact; however, with how narrow the passageways were, it would be difficult to swing the weather-producing bo staff around. How was it that she always managed to land herself into these messes? As they sluggishly approached, Nami shuffled back a few paces. She could dart off into one of the alleyways, but they would surely pursue, and they knew the area much better than she; if they really put their minds to it, they could corner her, and she could find herself in an even more cramped space than the current. She would just have to whack them over the head the best she could.

Before Nami got the chance, a booted foot came out of the dark alleyway a few feet in front of her to kick the closest thug savagely in the head, sending him crashing into the opposite brick wall. He slumped down, unconscious. The other two yelped as they were snatched into the dark, and all Nami heard was their whimpers and yelps mixed with the unmistakable sound of fists crunching bones. They were thrown onto their comrade to make a pile of moaning, groaning, barely-awake wimps. Nami blinked; it had happened so quickly that she hadn't even fully assembled her weapon. Wary, she kept the pieces on hand as she timidly called out, "Who's there?"

A pair of cloaked figures stepped out of the damp, dank alleyway, looming a few yards away from her. They definitely cut intimidating personas, though she couldn't even see their faces; their cloaks did little to shield their muscular forms. No wonder they had pounded those thugs so easily. The smaller one in the front tossed back his hood to wave placating gloved hands at her.

"Hehe, no worries! We're not here to hurt you. Are you lost, miss?" His smile was bright and happy, and reminded her much of Luffy's. He seemed harmless enough- well, relatively speaking- so she returned her Climatact to her hip. Behind him, the taller man shifted and she could see the flash of a blue tribal tattoo coursing down his face. The one smiling at her had shockingly bright blonde hair and a burn scar spanning half his face. Nami felt like she recognized the two, but she couldn't place from where; regardless, she felt she could trust them. They had smacked down those thugs for her, after all.

"Yes, I'm lost. Would you kindly show me the way to the docks, please?" Nami trusted them but not completely; she wasn't going to ask them to take her right to her ship. If she got back to the docks she would be able to make her own way from there. The blonde-haired man smiled brightly, if that was even possible, and put his hands on his hips.

"No problem, no problem; we were headed that way anyway. We can't leave a pretty girl like you alone in these seedy alleyways, right, Boss?" he looked over his shoulder at the long-haired man, which was still eclipsing his features with the hood. He only grunted indifferently in response. "Great, great, let's get going then!"

Before any of them could move, the miniature transponder snail hooked to Nami's belt began ringing. Nami had purchased the matching set for herself and her captain so she could keep tabs on him on outings such as this; the only time he called her is when he wanted something.

"_Namiiiiiiiii_!" he wheedled as soon as she picked up the receiver. "Where are you? Nevermind, can I play a game? It's in this reaaaaaaally cool house-kinda-thing with all these old men with scars and stuff." Nami groaned and slapped a hand to her forehead. With their luck, he landed himself in a yakuza gambling den. "It's got something to do with dice. I don't really get it all that much but if I win I get lots of moneyyyy!"

"Luffy."

"Yeah?"

"If you don't win, and lose all our money, you know what'll happen, right?"

"… You're gonna hit me…"

"That's right, and on top of that, I'll make sure you don't get _any_ meat until we get to Wano, got it?"

"What? No meat? For that long? But Namiiiiiiii-!"

"No 'but's'!"

"Fiiiiiiiine… I won't lose _alllllll_ the money… Thanks, gotta go! 3" Nami rolled her eyes as he hung up. She dropped the now-snoozing snail back down and rubbed her temples.

"Ahahaha! Who was that? Your boyfriend?" the scarred blonde teased merrily. Her eyebrow quirked in annoyance and she shot him an icy glare, but she couldn't hide the faint blush arising on her cheeks.

"My _captain_."

"A captain, calling his crew member for permission? How troublesome." The hooded man had finally decided to speak. His voice was largely monotone, but she could detect the faintest hint of amusement in it.

"He's troublesome at times like these, but when it really comes down to the wire, he's a good captain," she shrugged, straightening up with her hand resting on her jutted hip. "He protects us," she smiled. It made her heart hum just talking about him. He was an idiot, but at least he was a dependable idiot.

"You like him a lot, don't you, Miss Nami?" the blonde laughed good-naturedly. There he went again, implying things. She pursed her lips as the blush deepened.

"I like him the perfect amount a crew mate should!"

"Riiiiight~ Well, time's-a-wastin'! We better get you to the docks so your captain can join you soon with his winnings, yeah?" the man laughed while tossing his hood back up. He beckoned with his hand for Nami to follow, and the two men dipped back into the dark alley. Nami hurried after them, following the only thing of them she could see in the gloom; the flash of his white gloves swaying at his side. The two of them were interested in Luffy, but Nami felt it was more out of genuine curiosity rather than malicious information-gathering; they mostly asked how he treated his crewmates and how strong he was, and so of course Nami answered honestly. Really, she talked Luffy up real good. By the time they reached the entrance of the docks, Nami felt like she was pretty comfortable with the two guys.

"Thanks for your help. I appreciate it!" she smiled gratefully.

"No problem! I hope your boyfriend didn't waste all your hard-earned cash~!"

"I told you, Scarface, he's not my boyfriend!" she cried, that red haze blazing over her cheeks again. The man whimpered and turned away holding the burned side of his face, whimpering playfully about how harsh Nami was. The bigger, tattooed man snorted at his subordinate's frivolousness before looking down at Nami with dark but non-threatening eyes. Suddenly, he reached up to poke Nami in the forehead.

"Take good care of your captain," he said with a small smile. Nami blinked, and when his hand retreated, she rubbed at the little pink mark his finger had indented into her skin.

"Oh… Yes, of course."

"See you around, maybe!" the other man laughed, seemingly recovered from Nami's scathing nickname. With a wild flap of their black cloaks, they both whirled around to hurry away, boots stomping against the wooden docks with all the power and presence of trained soldiers. As she watched them phase into the crowd of fishermen and deckhands, she wondered once more where she had seen them, because people like that always left impressions one never forgot.

* * *

Nami didn't realize where she had seen them until three full days later, when they were already underway for Zou.

"_**Ahhhhhhhhh**_! How could I have not _remembered_?" she shrieked, clawing at her long hair as she looked down at the newspaper article on the kitchen table in front of her. Everyone in the room jumped at her sudden, unwarranted outcry.

"What the hell is up with you, Nami?" Luffy asked as he nibbled on his chicken leg (the goofball had indeed made out like a bandit in the gambling house, and Nami was so proud of him that she convinced Sanji to give him extra meat portions for the next week). She ground her teeth fiercely as she tugged at her hair, clawing her scalp. How could she have been so stupid?

"The Rebel Army! I ran into their leaders, Monkey D. Dragon and Sabo, on the island! They showed me the way back to the docks!"

"Oh, so you ran into my old man and my bro? Neat," Luffy shrugged nonchalantly as he continued to attack his beloved meat.

"How can you be so nonchalant about it? Just what the hell is your family, Luffy?!"

"Shishishishishi! We all just like to be free, that's all!" he laughed while licking the chicken juices off each of his fingers. Nami slumped into her seat with a groan, staring at the black-and-white photographs of the two wanted renegades. Frowning slightly, she recalled Sabo's smile, so bright and sunny like his brother's, and Dragon's words.

"_Take care of your captain." _

Her gaze flickered up to the oblivious Luffy who was now pestering Sanji for more meat. Her mouth curled into a wry smile. Yep. He was an idiot, her dependable idiot. She didn't want another one.

_Don't worry. I have every intention on taking care of him. _

Nami could be depended upon in that regard.


	51. Sizzling Summer Heat

Category: Romantic Fluff

Characters: Sanji, Nami

_Hello, all! This will be my first submission for SanNami Week, for the Day One prompt "Eye Contact." I hope you all enjoy it! :3_

It didn't take a genius to figure out that the Thousand Sunny had meandered into an intense summer climate; all it took for Sanji to arrive at that conclusion was the thick layer of sweat that glistened on his skin, which made the thin sheet draped over his body and the blonde strands of his hair plaster uncomfortably over him. As he sat up in bed, sleepy eyes half-registering the shimmering haze of heat bubbling by the one porthole in the men's bedroom, he peeled the blanket off him like he was a reptile shedding its skin. _Yuck, _he thought in discomfort as he swiped the back of his hand across his forehead in an attempt to keep the beaded sweat droplets from rolling into his eyes; it was a useless act, as he just pushed the sweat on his hand onto his feverish skin and made it roll down anyway.

He blinked repeatedly as the salty solution stung his eyes and blindly staggering out of his bunk, landing lightly on the wooden floor. It had swelled with the sheer level of moisture burdening the sauna-like room and thus creaked loudly as Sanji strolled across the room to retrieve some appropriate garments. Likewise he peeled his pajamas off his body and tossed them aside; they landed with a wet slap against the plastic dirty clothes hamper they all shared. It was just too damn hot to wear much of anything, so Sanji settled with a pair of baggy shorts that allowed plenty of air movement and a loose muscle tee with some flip-flops and a pair of shades. He went to splash a little cold water on his face from their shared sink only to find in annoyance that it was lukewarm. _Is the sea boiling outside or something? _He thought with a grimace before exiting the bedroom to begin his morning ritual of preparing breakfast.

The sea wasn't boiling, but it sure as hell felt like the air was. Sanji's mouth hung open in a dog-like pant as he thrummed at the neck of his shirt, wobbling the fabric in an effort to fan his burning skin. The only respite to be had was the intermittent sweeping salt breeze rolling in across the sloshing waves, but even then, it was only temporary- a few seconds of relief at most.

He kicked the kitchen door open and all but ran to the freezer, flinging the machine's door open and embracing the chill air with a loud, unabashed "_Ahhhhh_…" Thankfully, the freezer seemed to be immune to the heat wave. He basked in the welcome cold for a minute or so before rolling up his metaphorical sleeves to set to work. A cold breakfast was a must, as eating any kind of hot food would undoubtedly result in many upset stomachs, so Sanji decided that some nice, cold smoothies would be ideal for the situation. He plucked some bananas and some of Nami's tangerines from their respective baskets and peeled off their skins, then chopped up the bananas and separated the orange slices before throwing them in his blender with a cup or so of ice and a scoop of vanilla yogurt for some body. Just as he plopped the top onto the blender and set to get it whirring, he heard Luffy's deranged whines echoing from the bowels of the ship. _So he's awake, _he smirked before turning on the machine. The whizzing blades and crunching of the large ice blocks provided ample noise to drown his captain out.

It took only ten minutes or so for Sanji to prepare enough smoothies for the entire crew. He piled them onto a silver service tray and waltzed out of the kitchen to find them all in various states of melting across the deck of the ship. Luffy was collapsed on his belly sweating buckets and fanning himself with a hand, groaning.

"Sanjiiiiiiii… It's hoooooooot," he moaned as he unenergetically rolled onto his back. His red vest was practically glued to him, and his jean shorts were an entire shade darker thanks to the sheer amount of sweat pouring off him. Sanji decided not to argue with him about the fact that it was absolutely idiotic to wear jeans in a heat wave.

"Here. This should help," he sighed as he strode over to hand him one of the glasses. Luffy sat up with much effort and took it in both hands, sipping at the straw. It was almost instantaneous, how his energy went from zero to one hundred and fifty.

"Hehe! Thaaaaanks! Yo, guys, we should make like a swimming pool or something!" he began babbling with his characteristic laugh to Franky and Usopp, who only let out unenthused groans in response. Sanji walked over to them to deliver the drinks and almost recoiled from the heat rolling off of Franky's machine parts; he certainly didn't envy the cyborg, that was for sure. Usopp's curly mass of thick black hair certainly didn't help, either; it was piled up on top of his head in a massive bun, but nonetheless was threaded with moisture beads like dew upon blades of grass on a spring morning.

"Here, guys, drink up. We could get dehydrated in this heat," the cook said while handing them smoothies. They grumbled something in response and collapsed against each other while drinking them gratefully, but only for a few seconds, because the sizzling steel of the shipwright's parts burned Usopp's arm something fierce. At his startled yowl, Chopper came tottering over to inspect his burn. The poor furry reindeer was probably the worst of the lot of them, being covered in thick fur from head to toe. His little pink tongue lolled out of his mouth as he dutifully but tiredly applied some anti-burn salve to Usopp's arm. "Here ya go, Chopper," Sanji mused as he set one down next to him. Chopper took the glass in his brown hooves and held it momentarily to his forehead.

"Ahhhh… That's nice…" he sighed as he approached nirvana. He then brought it down to his mouth so her could partake in the fruit concoction. "Mmmm! It's yummy, Sanji!" The rest of the crew clustered in the corner chorused in agreement.

Sanji delivered the remainder of the smoothies and found that he was one short; Nami wasn't on the main deck. There was really only one other place that she could be; Sanji hopped lightly up the stairs leading to where her grove of tangerine trees was thriving under the blazing sun. He walked around the corner to find her sprawled out on her belly on a beach towel, the clasp of her bikini top unhooked to provide an even tan. She was wearing only a matching bikini bottom that hugged her shapely bottom. Sanji's face instantly began to burn bright red and he hastily snapped his face away lest he be caught staring. It wasn't like it was unwelcome; he and Nami had been together for some time, actually. Still, it hadn't been _that_ long, and so he was still bashful when it came to physical aspects of the relationship. He took a moment to gather his thoughts before clearing his throat. "Nami-swan, I brought you a smoothie."

"Oh, thank you!" She was lying perpendicular to his position, allowing her to turn her head to smile gratefully at him. Sanji immediately felt the blush returning to his face as soon as her eyes met his, staring intently even through the darkened glasses. Stiff as an unoiled robot, he closed the short distance between them to crouch down and hand her the smoothie; she pushed herself up on her elbows, her loose bikini top only just protecting her modesty, and Sanji's eyes rolled up to the heavens lest his gaze be dragged down to a more sinful plane. "Yum! Making good use of my tangerines, I see," the navigator mused as she happily gulped down the fruit blend. Sanji bashfully mumbled something along the lines of a gratuitous remark as he rubbed the back of his neck. He felt like the temperature had notched up ten degrees. _The things she does to me, _he thought in mild delight. He was about to get up and go about his business, but Nami's hand struck out to grab the hem of his muscle tee. "Sanji~? Why don't you stay here and tan with me?" Her crooning voice was the epitome of innocence, but the demure smile and fluttering eyelashes belied Nami's flirtatious intentions. Sanji swallowed nervously and his mouth suddenly grew dry, so he momentarily busied himself with sucking down a large swig of his smoothie. There wasn't even a mental debate in his head, because like hell he was going to pass up the chance to be close to his mind-blowingly gorgeous girlfriend!

"Of course," he smiled charmingly at her once his brain remembered how to work properly. He pushed the empty serving tray aside and set the smoothie down to pull the tee over his head. He caught a glimpse through the thin fabric of Nami's chestnut eyes greedily drinking in his chiseled abs even more than she had been relishing the smoothie, and a blush painted his cheeks. The things she did to him, indeed. He threw the shirt aside and stretched out on his back beside her. Nami instantly scooched across the towel such that her side pressed against his; though it was blistering outside and skin-on-skin contact just made it worse, the electric tingles that blossomed across his body were a drug potent enough for him to not say a damn thing about it. She cocked her head to the side and lazily raise her hand and begin tracing random patterns into his abdominal muscles. Sanji's startled eye locked onto her glittering, cunning chestnut ones that refused to let go.

Of the many remarkable beauties that Nami had, like her vibrant flood of tangerine locks or her curvaceous body that almost begged to be touched and lavished, Nami's eyes were just as equally riveting. Sanji frequently found that they dominated his attention more than anything else. Round and inviting, they were, with irises the color of melted chocolate and coffee grounds and shining copper… Sanji could never help being drawn into them. Her finger trailed a burning path all across his abdomen with reckless abandon, all while her electrifying eyes held him prisoner.

"What are you thinking, Sanji?" she asked suddenly, innocently, but with all the wile of a coy vixen. Sanji was utterly incapable of complex thought at this point, and so he just openly admitted what was on his mind.

"I was just thinking about how gorgeous your eyes are." He wasn't sure what she was expecting, but it probably hadn't been that, given the shy haze of pink that graced her cheeks. She reached around to re-clasp her bikini top, then draped her upper body across his chest so her head was resting just at the junction of his neck to his torso. Sanji could just lift his head up and kiss her if he wanted to. With a life of its own, his hand dove into her tresses of orange hair to follow them from root to end, over and over again in rhythmic fashion. Nami resumed painting an abstract, invisible landscape across his pectorals. "What are _you_ thinking?" Now _that_ was the question.

"Me? Oh, nothing much- just how devilishly handsome you are," she responded simply while resting her cheek against the arm that was draped over his body. The corner of his mouth twitched into a smirk. Perhaps it was the sheer confidence that the fiery woman was exuding right now, but Sanji found himself a willing participant in her flirty banter. His fingers fell down from her sunset hair to skip lightly across the lightly flushed skin of her shoulder blades. She really was more beautiful than any creature on earth. Before he and Nami were together, he flung his affections on anyone willing to listen because he just simply craved being wanted, but now, he couldn't imagine even looking at another woman in that light. He didn't even flirt with Robin anymore (though he was a gentleman and still treated her nice, but all three of them knew the difference). Lying there together, simply enjoying each other's company and relishing the heated interaction on an already blistering day, Sanji knew then and there that he loved her.

Neither of them had said that to each other yet. Sanji knew that it was not a phrase to be tossed around lightly in a real relationship. He had been waiting for the right moment. Nami had finally ceased the eye contact to drift her eyes shut, lightly snoozing and lulled by the gradual rise and fall of his chest. Was now the right time? Sanji didn't know much about these things. He could talk a good game but when it came to the actual logistics, he was clueless. Yet, as he simply watched her beautiful form relax on his body and soak up the sun's rays, he couldn't imagine a better time. His fingertips feathered across her rosy cheek, and one of her eyes fluttered open in answer. "Mhmm? What are you thinking about now?" she asked with a voice thick with sun-drunk weariness.

Sanji had a thousand answers for that question- how her fiery hair blazed with all the fury of the sun's light to shine like a holy fire, how her goddess-like body hugged the contours of his rugged form in a manner that seemed like they were made to fit together, how his fingers could never get enough of the feeling of her velvet-smooth skin responding to his light caresses, how those magnetic brown eyes contained all the world and more for him. He had a thousand answers, but he only voiced one, one that contained all the other nine hundred and ninety-nine unspoken.

"I'm thinking about how much I love you." Nami's other eye popped open and she raised her head to gape down at him, lips slightly parted. They then curled in a warm smile.

"I love you too, Sanji." This time, Sanji took advantage of the proximity of her face and leaned up to capture her lips with his own. Their mouths melted together like margarine, smooth and fluid. Nami responded eagerly to his repeated kisses, her fingers finally stilling to rest of the area where his heart fluttered with every movement of their mouths. He tilted his head to the side in a greedy plea to have more of her and deepen the kiss, and the readily complied; as his tongue slipped into her mouth to tangle with her own, the sweet tang of tangerines mixed with the subtle hints of banana bloomed across his tongue, coupled with the overwhelmingly saccharine taste of his beloved Nami. It might as well have been alcohol because he was drunk instantaneously, and it might has well have been a drug because Sanji was instantly addicted. A low moan rumbled in her throat as he kissed her with all the hunger of a starved man; Sanji felt it tremble through his entire being like thunder across a stormy sky and never had he felt more alive.

Sanji's head thumped back against the deck of the ship as they broke apart, panting lightly and sweat shining on both their faces. With a contented purr, Nami swathed herself across his body once more, this time keeping her trailing ministrations concentrated at his heart.

"You know, I'll get an awful tan like this," he remarked jokingly while sweeping a strand of her hair from her face.

"Too bad. I'm much too comfortable." She stuck her tongue out at him, and he chuckled lowly in response. An uneven tan was definitely a worthy price for this moment. Bathed in the summer sun's golden light, the two lazed away the hot afternoon, their eyes never leaving the other's for a moment…


	52. Hibiscus and Honey

Category: Romantic Fluff

Characters: Sanji, Nami

_Hello, all! This will be my second submission for SanNami Week, for the Day Two prompt "Vacation." A.K.A., an alternate instance of the first time Sanji and Nami say they love each other…_

"Wow… What a gorgeous sea!" Nami exclaimed in utter awe as she stood upon the sandy shore of the summer resort island they had landed upon the night before. The crystalline particles embracing her bare feet were a pristine white, while the water that rolled in frothing waves upon its surface was like liquid aquamarine, sparkling and clear. It was pleasantly warm as it lapped at her toes. Nami stretched out her arms and tilted back her head so every inch of her skin possible could soak up the lovely waves that were shining down from the blazing hot sun in the clear blue sky above. "Ahh… There's nothing like a day at the beach!" She then sharply whirled around, mood thunderous in an instant. "You guys better not ruin it! We're on vacation. _Vacation_, you hear me?!" she snapped at Luffy and the rest of the crew, who were lounging around under umbrellas, playing in the sand, and, in their knucklehead captain's case, looking for something adventurous and absolutely un-peaceful to do.

"You're yellin' at me and I haven't even done anything yet!" Luffy whined while waving a driftwood stick he had found, his lips pursed in a childish pout.

"You were thinking it! I _know_ you were!"

"But Namiiiiiiii… I'm so booooooooored," he whined loudly as he slunk down into the sand. Nami snorted and walked over to firmly but not painfully bonk him over his hard head. "Okay! Okay! I'll be good," he promised woefully before slinking off to where Usopp and Chopper were constructing a massive sandcastle. Nami wasn't sure how much his vow was worth, but for the sake of her sanity, she decided to at least pretend that she could rely on his word. Thus, Nami rolled her shoulders to unwind the kinked muscles there and set to her favorite beach pastime- tanning!

Nami, naturally, was a responsible tanner. She only wanted a small hint of a caramel tint to her skin, not skin cancer. As such she still slathered herself in plenty of sunscreen and re-applied regularly. A girl had to look good, but not at the cost of her health! After coating herself in a protective layer of the white, creamy substance, she stretched out on her belly with a contented sigh, facing the beach. Though she would begin dozing soon enough, watching the various goings-on of her crew was a great way to pass the time while her body soaked up the radiation.

Though they had only just begun, Chopper, Luffy, and Usopp's sandcastle had evolved into a massive arena decorated richly with shells and seaweed and driftwood (tastefully, too, thanks to Usopp's eye for the aesthetic). Luffy and company were now avidly hunting for hermit crabs to pit against each other in races. Robin was secluded underneath an umbrella next to Nami reading one of her novels while Carrot lounged on her belly on a towel next to her, chattering while Robin patiently nodded along. Jinbei, the most recent addition to their crew, was already fast asleep under an umbrella on Nami's other side, his big blue fish belly rising and falling with soft snores. Franky and Zoro were out on the water racing each other on two of Franky's machines that were stored down in the bowels on the ship. A particular large wave knocked them both of their steeds; Franky came up howling in laughter while Zoro came up scowling like someone had drunk all his sake. Brook had attracted a small crowd of local beachgoers who were his fans and was signing autographs, but the girls would all run away squealing in embarrassment as he unabashedly asked to see their panties, even though they weren't really wearing any since they were in swimsuits. The business in Wano had since been settled but Law had decided for the sake of their alliance to travel alongside the _Thousand Sunny_ in his _Polar Tang_, so his group was a little ways down; a majority of them were having a chicken fight tournament in the water while the Heart Pirate captain was leaned up against Bepo, snoozing contentedly. He sure didn't appreciate it when Luffy scrambled over to wake him up and demand he witness their hermit crab arena's inaugural race.

_Hmm? Where's Sanji? _Nami's caramel-colored eyes scanned the white beachfront for him, finally spotting him under an umbrella close to the water with a little table set up so he could prepare a beverage of some sort. Her mouth curled into a smile. _Always thinking up something new…_ she thought in admiration. The backside of her body had begun to burn with the intensity of the sunlight, so she rolled onto her back to begin tanning her front. It almost saddened her to a degree, because she could no longer watch Sanji at work.

It had taken their two-year separation for Nami to finally realize that she had feelings for Sanji. She had sorely missed his little gestures of affections, his constant compliments, his reassuring and steady presence. For the longest time, Nami had simply thought it his nature to rain down praise and love to women, and that was certainly true; however, when she sat down and thought long and hard about their interactions, Nami recognized the subtle differences in how he treated her. He always rushed to her aid first; his gifts were always tailored to her liking; "Nami-swan" came out of his mouth far more than Robin's name ever did. She wasn't sure if Sanji even realized what he was doing himself. Regardless, ever since that pivotal moment, Nami found herself soft for the sweet cook. Thus, the very night they had reunited in Saobody Archipelago, Nami stole him away for a few moments to bear her heart to him. Of course, her feelings had been reciprocated fully. Sanji was still the same, chivalrous sweetheart, but now that he was specifically Nami's, his outright flirting with other women had ceased. He had only ever just been desperate for love and didn't know how to ask. He sure knew how to show it, though, and between all the harrowing adventures (even the Whole Cake debacle, which had been a major strain in their relationship), Nami's time with him had been nothing short of bliss.

"Nami-swan~" Nami raised her head as his smooth-as-silk voice purred above her. Sanji was grinning proudly as he brandished the last remaining glass of a bright red drink of some kind- based on the beautiful hibiscus flower it was garnished with, she surmised that it was hibiscus tea. Smiling sweetly, she sat up and took the offered glass from him.

"Thank you!" She raised the glass to sip at it, instantly melting at the refreshing cranberry-like taste that flooded over her tongue. She detected just the slightest hint of honey mixed in as well. "Mhmm," she praised audibly. Her adorable boyfriend instantly gushed pink at the compliment and puffed out his chest triumphantly. Now that Sanji was otherwise unoccupied, tanning was the least of her concerns, so she rolled onto her side and patted the empty stretch of sand beside her, sipping seductively at the hibiscus tea all the way. "Sanji, won't you lay with me a while?"

Almost before she could blink, he had flung out a towel and was lounging beside her while the summer sun's rays bathed them both. The ice cubes clinked melodically in the glass as Nami swirled it daintily in her hand, watching Sanji's hands with loving eyes as he twirled his fingers in the curly locks of tangerine hair that were spilling over the side of her body like an orange waterfall. Every so often his fingertips would lightly brush over her exposed skin, sending sparks like wildfire rushing through her nerves. Occasionally, the salty sea breeze would roll over them with its own gentle caresses, staving off the blistering heat for a few moments with an invigorating kiss. "It really is a lovely day," she commented absently.

"Hmm," Sanji grunted in agreement, far too busy playing with her tresses of hair to hold conversation. Nami leaned her cheek in her hand and closed her eye to enjoy the sensation of his lithe fingers skipping up and down her body, skating across her shoulders down her arm before dancing over her waist and hips, then back up again as he traveled the winding lengths of the citrus-colored strands. She abandoned himself to his ministrations for a while, content in saying nothing at all and enjoying his presence alone. It had only been a month or so since their reunion and establishment as a couple, but already Nami found herself in this stage of the relationship. Perhaps the perpetual chaos rushed these things a bit, or perhaps Nami had been in love with him for so long that it just came naturally. She was sure it was the same for him. As she basked in the summer glow, her mind began to wander sleepily.

"Hey. What would you think if my hair was this color?" she asked suddenly, brown eyes flickering open with a shake of the half-empty glass of hibiscus tea. Sanji blinked in confusion at the very unprompted inquiry for a second before his mouth curled into an amused smile.

"Why, I think it would look lovely on you, Nami-swan," he purred with another sweep of his fingers through her mass of hair. He plucked the red hibiscus flower that was perched on the rim of the glass and delicately slipped it into the space behind her ear. "Mmm-hmm," he confirmed with a rumbling purr of approval, watching wryly as the temptress' smoldering eyes peered at him expectantly over the edge of the glass she had just then raised to her lips. "Very lovely. However," he added with a small smirk. He plucked up a piece of her hair to raise the end of it to his lips, pressing a long kiss into its fibers, "I think I prefer tangerine orange to hibiscus red." A girlish giggle alighted Nami's chest, and she set the glass in the sand to grab him by the shoulders and roll onto her back. Sanji moved with her, situating his body above hers with one knee resting in the small space between her knees. Her orange tresses spread out behind her like a breaking dawn, painting the world in its orange glow.

"What about honey-gold?" she inquired as the tongue sweeping over her bottom lip detected its faint sweet tang. Sanji's smirk curled higher as his eye glittered brighter with amusement.

"You'd look like an angel, for sure, but my earlier statement still stands." Nami's hands settled on his shoulders as his swept a swathe of her hair from her face, then traced a path over her jawline to her chin and across her collarbone. Feather-light, loving caresses that made her heart and nerves sing in a resounding chorus… Only a response that Sanji could so effortlessly elicit from her. As they stared unflinchingly into each other's eyes, Nami grew very aware that she had never seen such an intense passion and love burning within his before, and that smile gracing his face- it was nothing short of pure, unbridled affection and adoration. Nami found a happy blush spreading across her cheeks. _This man… I… _

Rather than thinking, Nami elected to say exactly what was on her mind.

"Sanji?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you." His eyebrow crept up to his forehead in shock. It took a moment for his mind to process exactly what had come out of her mouth, but when it did, Nami saw the brightest, most stupidly giddy smile that she had even seen on him appear on his face.

"I love you too, Nami!" He was so happy in that moment that he just had to kiss her, not that Nami minded one bit. Her eyes fluttered shut as his face dove down onto her own, their lips melding together perfectly like a lock and key. She circled her arms around his neck as one hand found her waist, his other arm resting by her head to keep his balance over her. With every sweep of his mouth over her own, Nami could feel the intense love and happiness pouring off him, like they were waves lapping at the shore, over and over and over. It was infectious; the joy bubbled up inside of her body too, until it was spilling over in the form of overjoyed tears rolling down her cheeks. After a few minutes, he retreated, but only slightly; his adoring expression hovered a few millimeters from hers, and he couldn't help but press a few light kisses to the tip of her nose. She giggled again. There was nothing that could ruin this moment.

Well, except Luffy, of course.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" came his heartbroken wail from a few yards away, and the both of their heads snapped to the side to see what the hell had him so upset. He was doubled over crying in the sand next to the arena while a very devilish-looking Law grinned over him.

"Rules are rules, Straw Hat-ya. Pay up."

"I dun wanna!" moped the young boy groveling below him. The rest of the Straw Hats and Heart Pirates were in various states of grieving around them, indicating that Law had apparently devastated them in the hermit crab races. Nami's stomach sank at the possibility that she suddenly owed Law a lot of money, and she felt a hot flush spread through her body as she mentally prepared to rip Luffy a new one. However, thankfully for her wallet, Luffy was forced to relinquish his little hermit crab racer to Law. "Good-bye, little buddy," Luffy sniffled with ugly tears as he held up the oblivious little creature for Law's taking. Suddenly remembering the loss of his own little hermit, Chopper began bawling and sought out Zoro's broad chest for comfort.

"Good grief. What a bunch of children," Nami huffed with a roll of her eyes, but was smiling gently. At least they were enjoying themselves. At her proclamation, Luffy's eyes locked onto her like a predator to its prey, and he sped across the sand on all fours like some feral beast to grab one of her hands.

"Nami! Please! Win my hermit crab back for me!" he begged. Nami's face scrunched up into a slight scowl.

"Luffy, can'tcha see I'm busy?"

"You can make out with Sanji later! This is a matter of life and death!" _Of all the-! _Nami thought indignantly, mortified that Luffy had all but announced what she and her boyfriend had been discreetly getting up to in their own little corner of the beach. Her eyes flashed to Law, who was grinning smugly at her from beside the arena.

"What is it, Nami-ya? Afraid to lose?"

"Oh, hell no," Nami cried as her pride was called into question. Sanji yelped as she all but shoved him off her. As she stood up, Luffy latched himself like a little baby monkey to her leg, making her haul him across the sand to stand angrily in front of Law, hands on her hips and chin raised in challenge. "I'm about to make you weep at my feet, _Surgeon of Death_," she growled and jabbed a finger into his chest.

"Ahhhh~ Show him who's boss, Nami-swan~!" Sanji cooed from behind her. She didn't even have to look at him to know he had his hands clasped and was wriggling around like an eel. Nami stuck out her tongue to throw a cute wink back at him. Total fatality; he clutched his heart as he fell back into cardiac arrest, struck down by Nami's adorableness. Kissing on Sanji would have to wait, she agreed as she marched down towards the surf. She had to choose her fighter and whoop Law's ass!

Still, it wasn't completely forgotten, as she was presently reminded by the lingering taste of hibiscus and honey on her red-tinted lips…


	53. Chase Away the Dark

Category: Romantic Fluff

Characters: Sanji, Nami

_Greetings, all! This is my third entry for SanNami week for the Day Three prompt, "Superhero"! As usual, I hope all you SanNami lovers out there enjoy my hard work! ^_u

Nami awoke with a garbled scream, nails clawing into the faded scars hidden beneath her blue swirling tattoo. They were burning like liquid fire, like the day she had carved into the disgusting brand of the Arlong pirates that had been forced onto her so long ago. In the vision of her waking eyes, the Fishman's sharp-toothed, berating grin danced in the deep dark, taunting the frail little creature he deemed so much lesser than himself. Nami's chest heaved with gulping breaths as she struggled to break free of the thrall of the nightmare, lest it drag her to the depths of hellish misery and drown her there. Slowly, gradually, her racing heart relaxed in her chest and her lungs were able to effectively take air again, and her body slumped like her soul had suddenly been ripped out of her. Every muscle that had tensed in her body at once ached and throbbed with exertion, while that area on the back of her shoulder continued to burn, burn, _burn_…

"Damn it…" Her trembling hand swept her loose hair from her forehead. It came back drenched in sweat. She sluggishly wiped off the coating of salty liquid on the plush comforter embracing her. The fluffy down blanket offered her no comfort. She ran her arms up her arms as goosebumps rose from the harrowing vision. Its intricacies were already fading into shadow in her mind, but the big picture was still branded into her mind. Servitude. Greed. Violence. _Arlong_. Shuddering at even the thought of his wretched name, her trembling fingers swept over the scorching-hot scar tissue once more. No, she would not find any comfort here in the cold night.

Quietly, so as not to wake the miraculously still-slumbering Robin, Nami threw the covers off of herself and slipped out of the bed. She shoved her bare feet into some fluffy tangerine-themed slippers that Usopp had crafted for her as a pet project. Nami smiled despite herself; the little cotton-stuffed tangerines bobbling on the toes of her slippers were a sight cute enough to at least marginally lift her troubled spirit. She quickly tip-toed across the room to pull open the wooden door, wincing as it creaked loudly. Robin muttered something incomprehensible and rolled over to face the wall, but did not seem to wake nearly enough to inquire why Nami was stealing away in the dead of night. With a soft exhale of relief, Nami crept through the bedroom door and shut it behind her.

With the bright white of her nightgown in direct opposition to the gloomy bowels of the ship and the way it fluttered around her knees like it had a life of its own, Nami looked the picture of a wandering spirit as she scampered further into the _Thousand Sunny_'s depths. It was dark, but Nami did not need to see; she had traversed this path many a night, and she could operate simply on muscle memory alone now. Still, that did not save her from all the darkness's ill effects. Nami's blood pressure mounted with the ever-rising frantic beats of her heart and her breath had begun to come in uneven pants once more. Unconsciously, she quickened her pace until her slippers were slapping against the wooden planks. She knew she was not being chased, but the mind plays tricks; she felt that giant looming presence behind her, those webbed hands eager to wrap around her throat to throttle her into submission, those razor-sharp teeth dripping with the blood of everyone she held dear.

Nami nearly slammed into the door to the boys' bedroom due to her panicked frenzy, but only just. She collapsed against its surface for a moment as she caught her breath. Fearfully, she peeked over her shoulder into the gloom of the hall. The specter of the shark Fishman cackled back at her with a mocking croon. _Oh, Nami, where do you think you're going? You have maps to draw… You aren't nearly done yet… Or should I pay everyone in Cocoyashi a visit? _Momentarily, the navigator was drawn back into the horrid mentality of her childhood mind, and her heart dropped in her chest with the crazed thought that she had to save everyone in her village. She actually began edging back towards the ghostly hallucination with tears in her eyes. _Nojiko… Ginzo… Everyone… Must… Protect them…! _She thought between wheezing gasps. Then, suddenly, her mind caught up with her and she recalled that all that was long past. Gritting her teeth, she covered her tattoo, that lovely blue swirl of a tangerine and a spinning pinwheel. "It's all over now… He can't hurt you anymore…" The whisper was not convincing in the slightest.

Nami scurried back over to the bedroom door to throw it open and the shut, as if she were locking that lumbering phantasm out. Her sweaty tangerine hair was plastered to her face as rivulets of perspiration mixed with tears rolled down her cheeks. After a minute of gathering herself, she detached her body from the frame of the door to pitter-patter over to the row of suspended wooden structures that served as the boys' bunks. She squeezed through the small gap to hover over the sleeping form of a blonde-haired cook, swallowing as she debated waking him. This wasn't the first time she had snuck in to seek solace in the arms of her boyfriend, but she always felt just as guilty as she had the first time. She tossed a despairing glance at the entrance to the room. _Nami… I know you're in there… _his voice bled through the metal like acidic venom dissolving its surface.

Nami's hand shot out to lightly but insistently shake Sanji's shoulder.

"Nggh?" he groaned incoherently as his head lolled over his shoulder to blink blearily up at her. It took him a moment to register Nami's disheveled, clammy form and distraught expression, but when he did, it sobered him up almost instantaneously. "Another nightmare?" he yawned as he wriggled about in the small bed to create a space for her, then lifted the covers for her to crawl underneath them. Nami clambered into the little bunk to snuggle up against his warm, inviting body, burying her face into the crook of his neck to inhale the reassuring aroma of spices and herbs and the faint hint of cigarette smoke. He dropped the covers down and slipped an arm beneath her head to begin running his fingers consolingly through her hair. Nami inhaled deeply once more, then exhaled as her body slowly relaxed in the soothing arms of her lover.

"Thank you, Sanji," she mumbled against his neck. His shoulder jostled her lightly as it shook in a throaty chuckle. Her lips curled into a smile as he pressed a long kiss to her forehead.

"Of course. I'll always chase the darkness away for you, my love." Nami's hand searched for his under the sheets, and when she found it, she tightly entwined her fingers with his own. Sanji lifted their link hands to his mouth to press flitting kisses over her knuckles and the top of her hand before laying them to rest on his chest. Her body craved more of his easing presence and so she snuggled up against him, slinging one leg over his and pressing the entire length of her body against his side with a girlish whimper. "I'll protect you, Nami," he murmured into her pile of tangerine tresses.

"Mmm. You're my hero," she confirmed sluggishly, as sleep had finally begun to claim her once more. Lulled by Sanji's unflinching love and the rhythmic strumming of his fingers through her hair, Nami allowed herself to drift away, for good dreams were sure to grace her for the remainder of the night…


	54. Between the Lines

Category: Romantic Fluff

Characters: Ace, Nami

Requested by: acexnami (Tumblr)

The night wind ruffled the wavy strands of Nami's hair as she poked her head out of the door leading into the bowels of the ship. Left, right, left, right; she swiveled her head back and forth several times to ensure that her eyes inspected every inch of the calm deck of the _Thousand Sunny_. The grassy lawn's spring-green blades rippled with every breath of the salt wind, the starlight catching on their waxy surfaces to make it seem like the shifting waves splashing gently against the ship's sturdy sides. The sails flapped morosely, and the ropes twisted lazily back and forth. Other than the gentle sighs of the wind, the deck was silent. High above in the crow's nest, Zoro was currently keeping watch, but he would likely be not the least bit interested in Nami's midnight stroll onto the deck- if he even noticed at all. Confident that she would not be seen, she slipped through the gap in the door and quietly shut it before stealing up the nearby steps to her tangerine grove.

Though she was hurried, she made sure that her footfalls were silent as she scampered carefully to the upper deck. Once there, she crouched down to push up one of the large clay pots that housed one of her prized trees, inching it up just barely to reveal a sealed envelope. She plucked it from its hiding spot before easing the pot back down with mere more than a gentle _thunk_. She once more peered up at the crow's nest, waiting for any sign of movement with bated breath. No signs of any imminent inquisition. Holding the envelope close to her chest, she crept over to the back railing of the ship where a delivery pelican was patiently awaiting her. She procured the agreed-upon delivery fee and dropped the Belli coins into the pouch strapped to his thin orange leg, then held out the letter for him. With a soft squawk, he parted his pouched bill to pluck it from her hands, then tucked it safely into the messenger bag at his side.

"Thank you," she whispered gratefully to him. He raised his wing in a feathered salute before flapping them lightly, rising from the balustrade to catch the wind and coast up into the jet stream above. Nami watched his white form retreat for as long as she could until his silhouette was indistinguishable from the softly glittering stars above. She held a curled fist over her heart while her hopeful eyes appealed to the heavens for her letter to be delivered safely.

_I hope it finds you well… Ace. _

Nami had never expected the first letter, after the mere time they had spent together in the Alabastan desert. It had arrived while she was recuperating in Vivi's lofty castle; the messenger pelican had fluttered down to settle on the sill of her open window, flapping insistently with the letter pinned between his beak. It had been unremarkable; just a means for him to keep tabs on Luffy through the most reliable and pragmatic of the crew, he had stated. Nami wasn't sure why that letter gripped her in the way it did. Maybe it was the charm of his messy scrawl, or the way she could see that big grin clear as day through his nonchalant words. Either way, Nami had no hesitations about committing to keep her captain's brother apprised of their movements- with the utmost discretion and care, of course. If their letters were intercepted, it could be absolutely disastrous for the both of them, so they spoke in code, using only the most general language and euphemisms and metaphors.

The change was gradual. It began with Nami's light-hearted flirting and Ace's playful replies- but then, over time, the feelings transformed from teasing to true. They never acknowledged this unspoken attraction between them; it would just make things difficult. They traveled two different paths, destined to only meet intermittently rather then completely intertwine. One or both of them could be marching onward towards utter ruin. Thus, their love for one another only existed between the lines, in the hidden meanings concealed in those unassuming letters. Nami had surprised herself; her feelings were quite powerful for having been developed in such a short span of time, a little over a month, really. Perhaps it was their miraculous adventures that made time seem so much longer… Everything that had happened to her since she leaped from the docks of Cocoyashi Village seemed like years of her life, when in reality it hadn't even been a quarter of one.

Perhaps she was reading too much into things. Surely, something such as love couldn't grow from one chance meeting and correspondence. Yet… Nami knew her heart better than anyone, she supposed. The dull ache that never left her, growing worse in the deep of night when she longed to see his face, touch his wavy brown hair, kiss each of his little freckles one by one- surely, that was love, wasn't it? She often wondered if it was one-sided. Perhaps Nami was inventing feeling between those lines, crafting unuttered sweet nothings and longings that weren't bled into the paper with the ink at all.

Perhaps, but when the letter that stated he wanted to meet in person again came, Nami threw all reason and caution to the window for that single tantalizing, enticing, tormenting "_what if?_"

It almost seemed like the universe aligned for the two of them. Nami related the ship's current coordinates to him, and as it turns out, in two days' time the Thousand Sunny would be moored within rowing distance to a very small island. "Island" was a generous term; it was a spit of land, a small streak of sandbar just peeking above the waterline with only a few coconut trees to boast. Nami could walk the widest point of its width in three minutes. The only residents of the unimpressive, isolated island were the hundreds of hermit crabs that feasted upon the fallen coconuts slowly fermenting because no one could gather them. At the agreed-upon time, with the Thousand Sunny securely fixed to the ocean floor by the anchor, Nami stole away in the _Mini-Merry II_ to shuttle silently over to their agreed-upon- or dare she say, destined?- rendezvous point.

Nami did not see Ace's flame-powered boat upon landing, so she surmised that she was the first to arrive. She brought the boat as close as she could without stranding it along the rising sea slope before dropping the anchor. The water sloshing alongside her was still about knee-deep, so she pulled off her sandals and held them aloft with one hand and bunched up the silky fabric of her dress in the other, hoisting it up to her mid-thighs before dropping down into the shallow beach water. Due to the late hour, it had long since lost the sun's warmth and was cold, causing goosepimples to rise over the skin of her legs upon first contact. Nami waded quickly up to the small shore, kicking the wat sand the best she could from her toes and rubbing her wet legs to return the warmth to them while she awaited Ace's arrival.

It took longer than she would have liked, or maybe time seemed stretched to her wandering mind. Had she assumed too much? She had dressed herself as if she were going on a date, in light brown strapped sandals with a yellow sundress with a one-and-a-half skirt that bore a borderline scandalous amount of her shapely tan legs and a sunflower clip in her hair. Not that she was anticipating any _intimate_ encounters, but Nami had even bothered to wear her good underwear… Blushing at the implications of the midnight rendezvous, she held her face to her hot cheeks. What if he laughed at her upon arriving with the way she was dressed? She had good fashion sense, but her desires were almost obvious with what she was wearing. Just as she was beginning to consider running back to the _Thousand Sunny_ to change, she caught the ghostly flicker of a fire playing across the horizon.

Did she imagine it? The red-orange glimmer vanished almost as soon as her eyes seemed to catch it. Ace knew that the _Sunny_ was moored nearby and likely didn't want to catch the attention of their night guard, so perhaps he was approaching more stealthily? Sitting upon the sand a few yards away from where the _Mini Merry_ was bobbing pleasantly in the rolling waves, she squirmed uncomfortably, wondering if her addled mind was indeed playing tricks on her. That was not the case, however, as very soon she could distinguish the bulky outline of his vessel approaching. As it came up alongside the _Mini Merry_, she climbed to her feet (trying not to look too excited but failing miserably) and scampered down to the point where the water met the sand just as Ace splashed down into the surf.

Ugh, the way his body was illuminated by the moonlight _sure_ was doing things to her. As he tipped his hat up to greet her, the white light played perfectly across his messy brown hair and dark skin, and caught in his eyes in the form of a playful glint. His smile was simply radiant, brighter than the full moon overhead. The rugged outlines of his muscles were almost too defined; her heart began to pitter-patter in her chest, and her hand curling over the area of her bust where it beat frantically did little to still the frantic beat. She could only stand there, mesmerized and nearly manic, as he splashed through the frothing waves to stand in front of her. Jeez, even the fact that she had to crane her neck back to stare doe-eyed up at him made her heart somersault inside of her ribcage. Was it possible that he was sexier than she remembered?

"Hey, Nami." She struggled not to swoon at his deep, sultry voice, just accented by the high-pitch of overwhelming confident. Surely, the way he was making her feel was obvious; once again, fear washed over her as she considered the idea that this was all amusing to him. _Play it cool, Nami. You have no idea what this meeting is about, _she scolded herself. She inhaled sharply through her nose before clearing her throat in some effort to maintain a sense of normalcy.

"Hello, Ace… What did you want to talk about?" A shadow fell over his face. Maybe she shouldn't have cut straight to the point? As he looked away from her, his curling waves of hair fell into his eyes and the shadows darkened over his cheekbones. She had no idea what he could be thinking.

"Let's go talk over here," he instructed while grabbing her elbow- not roughly, almost intimately. Her body moved on its own, excited by the electrical impulses blasting up her arm into her shoulder, as he led her over to the cool sand beneath the shade of one of the coconut trees. He prodded a half-eaten shell of a coconut with the toe of his boot to push it away, and the dozens of hermit crabs feasting on its milk-white flesh scurried after it, clearing them a suitable space to sit. With a sigh, he plopped down on the sand with his elbows resting on his raised knees, head still hanging. Nami eased herself down beside him, legs closed together with her folded hands resting in her lap and eyed him curiously. This change in mood bothered her greatly. She couldn't even be anxious because she had no idea what to be anxious over. The only thing she could imaging was that he had yet to find Blackbeard and was depressed about it.

"So I found Blackbeard." _Wrong. _The sound of an error buzzer almost blared in her head. Once more she was perplexed. Why on Earth would he be depressed, then? That was what he was after, wasn't it? Avenge his friend and then he could return to the Whitebeard Pirates, right? She leaned forward to peer into his face, trying to get a read on what was going through his mind, but the shadows still eclipsed his features completely. She could glean nothing at all from them. "He's such a bastard, Nami. Everywhere he goes, he just sows destruction and terror. I can't tell you how many islands have suffered because of him…" Nami recalled Drum Kingdom, so far away now; she had heard after the fact about Blackbeard attacking the kingdom unprovoked and causing the political upheaval as a result. Sure, it had worked out in their favor due to Wapol's cowardice, but the broken kingdom sure had a hellacious time piecing themselves back together. If the Straw Hats hadn't happened upon them when they did, Nami didn't want to imagine how they would have fared. Beside her, Ace clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckled glared as white as the rocky moon in the black sky above them. "He has to pay for everything he's done. I swear it. I'm gonna give it all back to him a hundred-fold…"

"And what… does this have to do with me?" she questioned quietly. She didn't want to be rude, but she still had no clue why Ace had invited her to this little spit of land in the first place. It didn't seem like he was torn up about the impending battle. Finally, he lifting his head slightly, allowing the shafts of light to illuminate dark eyes. Nami's chest constricted tightly, cutting off both her breathing and her heartbeat for a moment. They were so… sad.

"It means no more letters, Nami." The words hung in the open air for a moment as the ginger-haired navigator struggled to grasp them. _No more… letters? _

"I… I don't understand." He shifted uncomfortably in the sand beside her, hands twiddling to focus the nervous energy welling up inside of him.

"Once I finish off Blackbeard, I'll go back to Pops' crew," he explained. Well, yeah, that much was obvious. "He's one of the most wanted pirates on the Grand Line. We always have to take a lot of precautions that the Marines can't track us. You and I sending letters back and forth to begin with was a risk, but I'm by myself and can move fast. The odds of them intercepting the letters was really slim- but the _Moby Dick_, on the other hand…" Loathe as she was to admit it, it made sense. She imagined that they were select even with their transponder snail calls to the rest of the fleet; likely, they relied on vivre cards for the most part to ensure the safety of their respective divisions. The Marines would catch wind of a messenger pelican visiting the massive shift in a heartbeat. "If that letter was intercepted, the Marines would come after the Straw Hats, too," he sighed. "I can't allow that."

A puzzle piece clicked into place in Nami's mind. Of course. This was all because Ace wanted to protect his little brother. _It has… Nothing to do with me. _It saddened her. It saddened her so much that she wanted to burst into bitter tears right then and there, but she didn't, because honestly, what had she been expecting? It had been spelled out for her from the beginning. The letters had only ever been to keep tabs on Luffy, and now that doing that was much too dangerous, that was it. It made sense. It made sense, and that broke her heart into a million painful pieces.

"Of… Of course." She betrayed her emotions with a sweet smile. "Of course, you wanna protect Luffy. I get it! But why did you have to come all the way out here to tell me that? I mean, that's something you could've just said with a letter, don'tcha think?" Her light-hearted laugh was hollow and meaningless. She wanted to scream and cry and throw a tantrum, not laugh like she didn't care. She _did_ care. She cared _too_ _much_, but she couldn't let him know that. Her airy giggles faltered as he stared at her incredulously.

"Nami, it's not just that-"

"Well, now that you've delivered your message, you should get going. Who knows how long Blackbeard will stay put?" With a nonchalant air, she rose from her position and began jaunting back towards their anchored boats. She had to leave. She didn't know how long she could hold up this façade. He could just leave, and she could go home and cry, and they could both forget about each other and the feelings Nami invented between those lines. Life at its finest, right? Her steps faltered a little in the sand as she heard him scrambling wildly to his feet behind her. She didn't turn back; she couldn't. If she did, that fabricated love would come back and Nami didn't know if she could keep it all from crumbling.

"_Nami_!" His voice cracked like a whip in the night air. She gasped as he grabbed her elbow again, roughly this time, and wrenched her around. Her bare feet spun in the sand, throwing it up in streaming clumps, and as she came to rest in front of him his hands clapped down hard on her shoulders to pin her in place. He looked a mixture of angry and desperate, nostrils flaring and eyes blazing like the flames flickering across his shoulders and tufts of hair from how riled up he was, and Nami was left breathless. She was caught, and the tears she had been battling back spilled over the rim of her eyes to roll down her cheeks.

"But I imagined it," she whispered suddenly. The distraught expression on his face dissolved into one of confusion. Nami's face then fell; she couldn't bear to look at him anymore. "I imagined that you loved me… didn't I? _Didn't I_?" A part of her with better judgement wanted it to be true. Nami knew nothing good could come of loving Ace. He was a member of a rival pirate crew, and someday, at some place, they would be pitted against one another. It was just too complicated. It was better than he didn't love her; he ought to just tell her right now so her heart could break, and she could get on to putting it back together. He _ought_ to…

But, _God_, did she want him to say she hadn't imagined it at all.

His grip tightened on her shoulders, then relaxed. Her name left his mouth in a breathy whisper. The tendons in her neck twitched as his left hand suddenly left her shoulder, timidly sliding up her neck to cup the underside of her chin. Her eyes fluttered as she all but leaned into his touch; his calloused hand felt so _nice_ on her skin, she couldn't help but betray herself. "_Ace_…" Agonizingly slowly, he tilted her face up to force her to meet his gaze. She was instantly electrified. The fire had dwindled down to a smolder, but it was no less searing, making Nami's lungs convulse like they were filled with smoke and her heart sputter under the curse of her fogged mind.

"No," he affirmed gently. His thumb began to trace soft circles into her cheek. "No, you didn't, Nami." His other hand had migrated down her arm to hold her hand, squeezing it tightly. "It's because I love you that I came here, even though it's so dangerous for the both of us." Her hand flew up to hold the one on her face, which was now tenderly holding her cheek. His eyes, which had been fixated on her tearful ones, dropped down to his feet. "If only… If only I wasn't… Then maybe the Marines wouldn't care so much…" he mumbled under his breath.

"What? What is it?" He rolled his shoulders uncomfortably. His gaze was now flying in every direction but that of her face.

"It's not just because I'm a division commander that the Marines want me so bad. It's also because… my father is Gol D. Roger." She just stared at him. Of all the many, many things that could've come out of his mouth, that was never one she would've dreamed. "I found out after I snuck into a Marine base- long story- and happened to read some pretty important documents. If they ever caught me, I'd make one hell of an example to execute." His smile was wry, painful, tragic. "There's no telling what lengths they'd go to in order to get to me… Luffy's bad enough, but if they found out about you-"

"I get it," she interjected quickly. She didn't want to imagine the torturous scenarios that were beginning to bubble up in the recesses of her mind. "I understand. It's dangerous, but I don't care." She took the hand that was holding hers and moved it to her hip, then pressed every inch of her body that she could against him, her arm rising to push his hat off his head and weave into his messy brown locks. "At least for tonight, I don't care. If we can't write letters anymore, fine… but please don't leave me hanging like this." Her breath puffed lightly over his shocked face. If she wasn't so in her head, maybe the fact that he was the son of the most famous pirate ever would be more of a bombshell; but right now, she could care less. Ace was Ace, the man she loved. It didn't matter who his father was. All Nami cared about was who _he_ was.

"You're the one who almost walked off," he retorted playfully, but his voice was low, roguish. It lit a fire in the pit of her belly, one that demanded to be tended to. His hand slipped from her hip to the small of her back, jerking her closer, as if every inch of their bodies weren't already touching. The hand on her cheek traipsed into her short tangerine hair, spinning the locks around his fingers to drive them into a gradual state of messy disarray.

"Shut up and kiss me, before I _do_ leave."

And _oh_, did he oblige her. She didn't even have time to prepare herself before his lips crashed into hers like a tidal wave, locking her into a fierce, burning open-mouthed kiss. His fingers tugged at the roots of her wild orange hair while hers combed through his equally messy locks, both of them fighting for dominance as they each pulled their faces towards the other, lips rolling like a thunderous tempest. Nami soon lost that battle, however, as his tongue delved into her mouth to eagerly tangle with her own, dissolving her knees to jelly and stealing all the breath with her body. She slumped against him with a needy whine. While her one hand scratched lines into his scalp, the other was traveling the roads of his muscles, committing every rugged contour to her memory. He was doing the same with her curves, and as his hand snuck under the hem of her dress to give her thigh a sharp, teasing squeeze, she jumped and let out an affronted yet aroused gasp.

"Chickening out?" he laughed at her raging blush.

"Oh, you _devil_-" she growled, and it was his turn to gasp as she bore down on his shoulders to vault herself up, locking both her legs around his hips. His hands snapped to the undersides of her thighs, holding her up as she attacked his mouth hungrily again. He stumbled backwards under her assault and ended up tripping over his discarded hat. They both cried out as he tipped backwards, landed roughly on his back in the sand, and they looked at each other, breathless and red-faced, before they began giggling uncontrollably. She leaned over him, elbows dug down into the white sand and her nose mere centimeters from his own, smiling sweetly as the mood dissolved into something more intimate yet no less passionate. His large, rough hands smoothed a lock of her hair behind her ear as it dangled in front of her eyes.

"You're so beautiful, it's painful." The wistful sigh danced across her face with his warmth breath. His hand took to caressing her cheek again in rhythmic lines. She moved to kiss him again, but he caught her face, locking her rigidly in place. "Just let me…" he whined softly. His dark eyes searched her face continuously. "I want to remember everything, everything about you and this moment." Eyes closing, she leaned into his touch, so overwhelmed by emotion that she felt she may cry again. Was it humanly possible to love someone so much? So much that it felt like you were dying when you were with them, though you were also in an impossibly blissful high? Nami's heart was struggling to beat with all those conflicting emotions, twisting into pretzel knots in her chest. She forced her eyes to open though it was hard, because she too wanted to remember, everything about Ace and this one night…

Nami never thought that would be the last time she saw him. She never told anyone about the night they spent on that pathetic little strip of land in the unforgiving sea with no one but the stars for witness, not even Robin. It was her memory to treasure and mourn; it was her scar to bear and gloat. Many years later, when the pain was but a dull ache that appeared only in the midst of night when her mind wandered the roads of memory, she would pull out those letters and lose herself in those words unwritten, that love between the lines that was theirs and theirs alone.


	55. Rainy Day Revelations

Category: Romantic Fluff

Characters: Sanji, Nami

_Greetings again, all! This here story is for the SanNami Week Day Four prompt, "Fantasy." Enjoy, my lovelies!_

"Yeesh. What a storm," Nami commented as she peered out of the porthole of her and Robin's shared bedroom window at the frothing, writhing sea-green waves slapping relentlessly against the ship's broad hull. The _Thousand Sunny_ was currently docked at port, so there was no need to scurry around in the pounding rain in an attempt to escape it; however, the ship still suffered under the onslaught of nature's wrath, slowly but powerfully rocking from side to side as the wind and rain and waves disrupted its balance. The wooden structure creaked and groaned in protest. After watching the swirling sea for a minute or so, Nami peeled herself away from the small, circular window to scurry over to her bed. She leaped under the covers with an excited squeal, eager to resume her riveting fantasy romance novel. "Rainy days are the best reading days!" she grinned to her roommate, who was leaned up against her headboard also engrossed of a novel of some form.

"Oh, yes," Robin agreed without even lifting her dark eyes from the inked pages. "What are you reading this time?" As she turned the page, it made a light fluttery sound. Nami, eager to gush about her latest thrift-store find, set the open book down on her bed to save the page before putting her cheeks in her hands and lifting her legs over her back, feet hooked together at the ankles.

"Oh, it's simply wonderful, Robin! It's a story about a long-lost prince who has been turned into a dragon who rescues his previous fiancé from a marriage to a cunning, evil prince looking to steal her land's resources! He can only be human for two hours a day, at noon and midnight, and she has no idea who he is! She falls in love with him all over again, and it's simply so _romantic_!" she sighed dreamily. "The prince is so dreamy, too…" This elicited a chuckle from the black-haired woman, and Nami glanced over to see her also setting down her book to glance over at her with sparkling, amused eyes. She was sure that Robin was not nearly interested in the book, but loved to see Nami so animated about something and wanted to devote her attention to it one hundred percent.

"I see. What's happening in the book right now?"

"The evil prince has captured the dragon prince, and the princess and his unicorn friend are conspiring his rescue! It's not often you get such a willful, well-written, strong female character. I really relate to her," Nami swooned as she hugged the volume to her chest adoringly.

"Is that because you have a prince of your own?" Nami's mouth fell open at the sheer audacity of Robin's question. She looked at the archaeologist to find her sporting a cunning, shit-eating grin below eyes absolutely gleaming with mischief. Huffing, Nami grabbed her bookmark and shoved it into the space between the pages; this was going to take a while to sort out! She slammed it down on her bedside table before looking back to Robin with her arms haughtily crossed.

"What the _hell_ are you going on about?!"

"Oh, come now, Nami," she said in a placating tone as she lounged further back into her pillows, turning on her side with one arm slung over her side, almost as she were trying to seduce her. "I've noticed it ever since the Whole Cake Island incident." Nami gulped as a confusing plethora of feelings bubbled up in her chest all at once, like she was experiencing that day after that awful, harrowing, miserable experience was finally over. Her chestnut eyes began shifting around to random objects in the room because she couldn't meet Robin's piercing stare- the lamp, the wardrobe, the door, the fluffy rug.

"I have no idea what you mean," she countered with much less surety than she would prefer. She had found a particularly interested spot on the ceiling, where the swirling patterns of wood very much resembled a dog's face. Her eyes traced little ears, beady eyes, a snout with a little button nose-

"Nami, you are so _painfully_ in love with Sanji that it's ridiculous." Nami let out a noise that was some blend of a sputter, a choke, and a scream. Her hands flew to cover her face as it blazed a deep burgundy red, pushing her skin to the limits of its blushing capability. Her eyes, wider than the full moon covered by the storm clouds outside, finally shot down to Robin's face to see her pompously smirking at her little victory. "Come on; you _know_ you can't deny it." Nami's mouth tried to form words, but her brain was too fried to allow it. Her? In love with Sanji, the biggest flirt of all time? It was preposterous, ridiculous, absurd- and yet…

Her heart undoubtedly fluttered at the mere mention of his name.

"I- I don't…" she feebly attempted to deny, her gaze dropping to her lap. Her hand crept up to twist into the fabric of her shirt over her heart, as if that would stop the rampant rhythm it had hurtled into. Suddenly, she could see him before her waking eyes, grinning so wide his eyes crinkled up as he presented her with whatever random gift he had found for her today… A soft, warm smile blossomed on her face like a rose opening up to the sun. _Sanji… _Why was it that the thought alone of his generous little gestures sent joy bubbling up in her body? That the image of his beautiful smile sent her heart singing like a solo in a choir, and she suddenly had a painful longing to see him, touch him, kiss him… "_Oh my God_, I'm in love with Sanji!" she cried. The room rang with a resound slap as her hands collided with her already stinging red cheeks.

"About time you realized it." While Nami was in the thrall of her upending revelation, Robin had picked up her book and resumed reading with a blank expression, as if she hadn't been wearing the visage of a cunning witch a minute ago. "What are you going to do now?" The inquiry stirred something wild within Nami, a roiling sloshing mass not unlike the raging storm outside- not of water, but of need.

"Oh my God, I have to tell him."

"Now?" Robin blurted, having not expected such an answer. Nami ignored her. Her brain was focused on one thing and one thing only right now, the handsome, sweet, chivalrous cook. She made a leaping bound from the bed to race to the door, wrestling incoherently with the doorknob. "Nami? Nami, it's pouring outside!" Robin's objecting voice rapidly faded as she took off like a bat flying out of the fires of Hell down the halls of the ship's bowels.

Nami wasn't exactly sure why she had to tell him this instant. It wasn't like there were any pressing circumstances; he wasn't going anywhere. However, something primal in Nami had overtaken her good sense. In her current state, she couldn't even articulate that fact. It was like a dam had burst in her soul, releasing a tsunami of impossibly overwhelming feeling that completely flooded her being from head to toe. Perhaps the Whole Cake Island incident had bothered her more than she had truly realized; deep down, she really was afraid that he would go away again. In her panicked, overwhelmed mind, it really was _now_ or never.

Nami burst through the door leading to the deck of the ship and was almost immediately crushed between it and the frame as the howling wind angrily threw it back in her face. Her entire body rocked as it crashed against her bare arms, which she had instinctively thrown up to protect herself. Groaning, she pushed with all her might against the sturdy wooden door to squeeze through the slight gap the structure afforded her effort. It slammed shut behind her with a tremendous crash, but Nami barely heard it over the sudden boom of thunder that rolled over head as a splendorous display of lightning cascaded through the canvas of gray in a blinding white branching streak. Nami was already drenched from head to toe from the sheer volume of water descending in buckets from the sky. Chest heaving from her feverish sprint, she hastily pushed the strands of soaked tangerine hair from her eyes and ran across the deck towards the kitchen. The grass lawn that decorated the main deck had become saturated with water such that large, deep puddles were spilled all across its surface; the rainwater splashed up against Nami's calves as she splashed through them. Another thunderous roar sounded overhead as the flustered navigator all but crashed against the door, jiggling the doorknob in an attempt to get it open. Her wet hands slid uselessly across the shiny metal surface, so she resorted to literally yelling Sanji's name.

"What the hell? Nami? Is that you?" she heard his voice bleed through the metal, and she almost melted on the spot. The door opened and he stared at her in bewilderment. "Nami? What's wrong?" he cried and grabbed her by the arm to pull her inside, slamming the door behind her so the relentless wind wouldn't throw more pounding rain at her back. He grabbed a dishtowel from the nearby counter and began dabbing at her face, fussing all the while. "What's the matter? Is something happening? You're all out of breath and your face is flushed-" Nami's hand snapped up to grab his wrist as he tousled the dishtowel into her limp, dripping waves of hair. "Nami?" he blinked, the confusion clear on his face.

"Nothing. Nothing is wrong, Sanji. I just… I really needed to see you." His eyes went as wide as dinner saucers and his face didn't seem to know whether to drain of color or flush pink. Nami jumped as he suddenly slapped himself hard in the face, leaving as burning red handprint. "S-Sanji?"

"Sorry," he groaned as he leaned over to clutch the edge of the counter with both hands. "You said that so suddenly, I figured I just had to be in a dream or something." Nami stared at him for a minute, then began giggling lightly, raising her hand to her mouth. He lifted his head to blink at her. The handprint had faded to a light pink and become overtaken by the blush painting his cheeks. "Nami…?"

"I had to tell you, that…" her expression softened as the love bubbling up inside her spilled over into her eyes. Sanji swallowed thickly and straightened up to his full height as she approached him, his back hitting the counter and his hands behind him on the counter in a white-knuckled grip. She tilted her head up slightly as her chestnut eyes bored into him, desperately trying to convey the engulfing amount of emotion she was drowning in. "I love you." She didn't think is eyes could grow any wider, but it did, his pupils shrinking into a sea of white. For a moment, the only sound was the drumming of the rain and Sanji's deep, shaky breaths. She waited patiently for him to process what she had just uttered, but honestly, she was shocked. She figured he would instantly leap at her to claim her in a hot, passionate, desperate kiss… She blinked as a wry, forlorn, deeply pained smile twisted onto his lips with a dry, cold laugh.

"This is a pretty cruel dream," he whispered. As her eyebrows narrowed in befuddlement, one of his hands very shakily rose to tenderly caress her cheek with feather-light strokes of his fingertips. Nami's heart split in two at the absolutely heartbreaking look on his face; she had never seen so much agony swimming in his eyes before, nor such a gut-wrenching, miserable smile on his face. His fingers threaded into her damp hair, rubbing a strand between his forefinger and thumb. "How many times have I fantasized about this moment?" he breathed as his face ghosted over hers, his face contorting to further pain as he so desperately wanted to kiss her. "So many times… But you can't be real, Nami-swan. She would never say that to me. She doesn't love me…"

Nami's hand flew up to catch the sides of his face, and her heart wrenched at the way his leaned into her touch, as if he were starved of it.

"Sanji. It's really me," she whispered sincerely and firmly. "This isn't a dream. I'm sorry it took me so long to realize it… But I love you, truly, wholly, _completely_." Nami had no idea why she buried those feelings deep inside of her- perhaps some deep, quiet part of her greatly feared the idea of losing anyone, and so when she had begun to develop such emotions, she had shoved them deep into the recesses of her mind, to be forgotten… Instead, they had aged and fermented like fine wine, growing an impeccable body and soul that now filled her veins with rich bursting flavor of unbridled love. Sanji's eyes widened again as it searched her face, seeing only truth.

Not even a millisecond passed before his lips slammed into hers with such force that she was shoved back and she gasped. Locked into a feverish, hot, open-mouthed kiss, all the starch in Nami's knees instantly melted, making them wobble and fail. Sanji's hands securely grabbed her hips as she sunk down slightly, and he used it as an opportunity to bend her back into a sharp arch as his face positively smothered her own. Engrossed in the moment, her hands jumped into his hair, fingers threaded through the bright yellow strands and nails scratching against his scalp to elicit a low groan from him. With a grunt, his hands leaped from her hips to the backs of her thighs to make her jump up and lock her legs around her hips; at the same time, his tongue dove into her mouth to swirl frantically with her own, making Nami's mind muddled and unfocused and purely drunk on the hysterical sensations that were popping through her nerves like a thousand fireworks. Her mind couldn't process the sheer amount of stimulation happening everywhere at once as his hands roamed everywhere they possibly could, so her mind just shut into a white fog. He turned her around to prop her on the counter, flushing her body with his. Nami had no recollection of it but apparently she had unbuttoned his suit jacket and the button-up beneath it too, and he had shrugged it to the floor so her hands could freely travel across his chiseled muscles. Likewise, he had grabbed Nami's shirt and wrenched it over her head, leaving burning trails with his fingers over her back and stomach and collarbone. He soon abandoned her lips to carve a path of sloppy, deep kisses down her neck and over her collarbone and shoulder before finishing at the soft mounds of flesh spilling out of her bra. It was there that the blistering fire of lusty fever finally settled down into an intense smolder of embers, and he looked up at her with dark eyes glittering with amusement and barely contained passion.

"_Sanji_," she begged with a low, keening whine as he gently pressed his lips right where her heart was beating like the drumming rain against the window behind her. He planted light little kisses back up to her lips before claiming them like a man securing his greatest treasure, soft and meaningful, unlike the hungry kiss before.

"You're the most beautiful creature to grace this earth, you know that?" he murmured softly against her lips. His hands rubbed slow, deliberate circles into the skin of her waist and hips. "I feel like I'm in a fantasy… Because surely you're an angel or a princess who I am far undeserving of," he sighed with another slow, deep claim of her mouth.

"Stop saying stuff like that. To me, you're a prince, a king, even," she scolded lightly as she pulled back from his embrace, but only just to flash him a saccharine smile. He purred in contentment and gratitude before burying his face into the crook of her neck, peppering kisses across her jugular. She tilted her head back to allow him free access, closing her eyes as she savored the sensation of his lips painting patterns into her skin.

"You meant it?" he asked abruptly, lips fluttering over her skin. She nodded firmly, hugging him tight to her body.

"Uh-huh. You're as much my fantasy as I am yours, Sanji…" She felt him smile against her neck as he resumed his tender loving ministrations. Needless to say, Nami and Sanji made the most of the rainy day to shower all the compressed and pent-up love on one another…


	56. Pampered

Category: Friendship Fluff

Characters: Nami, Robin, Chopper

Requested by: Anonymous (Tumblr)

Nami frowned deeply as she inspected her fingernails on both her hands. Just as she had feared, they had seen better days. Her arms extended to peruse the skin of her arms, finding them in a similar state of disrepair; all the salt and wind of being on the open sea had left them dry an unappealing. Surely her legs fared no better. Finally, she tugged at her twisting locks of tangerine hair. Split ends abounded, and the texture was more akin to rope than hair. Well, that was that.

Nami was in desperate need of a spa day.

She had been sitting on her bed the entire time, so she slung her legs off the side to hop up and stroll over to where Robin was sitting in her designated reading chair, poring over some history book or another. The dark-haired woman's bright eyes flickered up to meet hers as she stopped in front of her, and she politely closed the book and set it on the small table next to her to properly address her.

"A spa day?" she inquired when Nami voiced her intentions.

"Mm-hmm! A girl requires a little pampering every now and then, you know. It would be no fun to do it all by myself, though," she pouted slightly. The best part about spa days was having a girl friend to share it with, gossiping and trading personal care secrets. She clasped her hands together in a pleading gesture, brown eyes sparkling innocently. "Please, Robin? It'll be so much fun! Once we're all dolled up we can go upstairs and see who can make Sanji pass out from blood loss first!" she teased, appealing to the woman's undeniable mischievous side. Robin smirked slightly and tapped at her chin with the pad of her index finger.

"I'm intrigued. Sure, let's have a spa day together, Nami."

"Oh, boy! Hold on, hold on, I gotta get prepared!" Nami squealed with delight and whirled in a quick pirouette of glee before zooming to the chest sitting at the end of her bed. She rattled off the various items required for a perfect spa day as she dragged them from the contents of the chest, occasionally jumping about to rifle through her nightstand or other various storage containers scattered about the room. As Nami was bursting through the door to their shared bedroom to carry her various articles to the bathroom down the hall, little Chopper came hopping down the steps leading to the upper deck.

"Hello, Nami, Robin!" he chirped happily. His little reindeer hooves clacked against the wooden floor as he approached them. "What is all that, Nami?" he asked curiously as he beheld the pile of stuff the navigator had crammed in her arms.

"We're having a spa day," Robin informed him matter-of-factly. He blinked up at them for a minute, and then his black eyes went wide and a big wondrous smile appeared on his furry face.

"A spa day? I've never had one of those… Can I have a spa day, too?" Nami and Robin looked at one another in surprise. Chopper hung around the boys a lot, so it was interesting that he desired to partake in something that was societally considered girlish. He was a boy, but Nami generally regarded him as more of a child than anything, and she had been naked in front of him before; he was a doctor, after all. Robin shrugged in indifference, leading Nami to look at Chopper with a nod.

"Of course, Chopper!" The little reindeer and exclaimed in glee, jumping up and down before hastily trotting after the two women as they headed to the bathroom. Nami dumped all of her necessary supplies on the tiled floor before she grabbed the large wooden tub that would hold their bathwater, dragging it over to the faucet and flipping the switch. Hot, steaming water burst from the metal apparatus, sending clouds of steam wisping before her face. Nami grabbed a bottle of her hand-crafted tangerine-scented shampoo and squeezed a little glob of it into the gushing stream; bubbles immediately began billowing up, coating the edge of the tub in the frothing white substance. Once the tub was filled high enough, she cut off the stream and lugged it over to where the two others were waiting. "Part one of Nami's Spa Day Special- a bubble bath!" she squealed with delight and all but wrenched off her clothes.

She and Robin took seats on the small stools that were situated nearby and scoured themselves with soft, spongy loofas, while Chopper elected to climb into the little tub and sink down to his chin. It didn't take long for him to start playing with the bubbles, and he had Robin and Nami in fits of laughter as he arranged different ridiculous hats and hairstyles on his head from the plentiful suds, and they joined in once Nami took out the shampoo and conditioner. Robin imitated Franky's cockatiel-like hair, and it had them rolling around on the tiles giggling. Once he had frolicked to his heart's content, the two of them scrubbed every square inch of his thick fur with shampoo and conditioner. He climbed out of the tub, standing awkwardly to the side a sopping mess, while Nami tipped the tub over to dump the leftover water out and allow it to drain. The air was filled with the fragrant aroma of citrus fruits, and it clung to their freshly-cleaned bodies. Nami quickly dabbed herself dry with the fluffy towel she had picked specifically for the occasion before gesturing Chopper over so she could dry his voluminous fur.

"Your shampoo and conditioner smells so good, Nami!" he chirped as Nami rubbed the strands of his fur between the cottony surface.

"Thank you, Chopper. Tangerine is a good scent on you!"

"You think so?" She confirmed it with a happy nod. Once Chopper's hair was reduced to an acceptable level of damp, she set the towel aside and plugged up her hair dryer, sure to leave the cord far away from the puddles of water still glistening across the floor. She dried her hair first, spreading the dark orange waves apart as she ran the hair dryer up and down the strands, until they returned to their shiny, bright tangerine hue. Robin had already finished hers with a second hair dryer, and it shone like threads of obsidian over her slim shoulders. They set Chopper on a stool and each took a side to blow-dry his fur. He sat contented under the warm air and soft strokes of their brushes. "Ahh… This is so nice…"

"Isn't it?" Nami mused. Between the two of them, the ladies were able to completely dry him from head to toe, and his reindeer fur took on a lovely sheen that it never had before. He kept running his hooves over the fur of his belly, appreciating the cozy softness.

"What are we gonna do now?" he asked Nami excitedly. She and Robin were currently rubbing some vanilla lotion into their skin (Nami thought that the scent would compliment the aroma of her tangerines, and she was right).

"Hold on just a second, Chopper! Once we finish this, we're gonna do face masks next!"

"Oooh! Face masks!" he squealed elatedly. Once she was finished, Nami rubbed the excess lotion from her hands with her towel and then wrapped the fluffy textile around her body. The rest of her spa kit was piled on her bed back in their bedroom, and so they took the party there. They dressed themselves in a matching set of pajamas that Nami had gotten them one girl's night out; they were a plaid set of short-shorts and a tank top, Nami's a summer yellow and Robin's a soothing lavender. So Chopper didn't feel left out, she managed to find a graphic tee that would fit him with a bunch of purple and yellow flowers on it, so he matched them, too. The three of them then piled onto Nami's bed to partake in the face masks.

"Now, Chopper, face masks are for skin, so these won't really work for you," Nami told him. Chopper's little ears flattened to his head as he slumped miserably into the mattress. He instantly perked up when she continued, "But, while Robin and I have these, we're gonna do something special for your hooves, okay?" She took a buffing pad and threw it to Robin, then procured herself one. "They're gonna be so shiny and smooth! But you have to be still, okay?"

"Okay!" he beamed brightly. They put the facemasks on before they set to buffing Chopper's hooves, busying themselves while the creamy concoctions hardened on the sensitive skin of their faces. Chopper obediently remained very still as the two of them smoothed out the chipped, scratched keratin of his dark brown hooves, but his little eyes kept flicking back and forth to watch them, obviously very excited. Nami had estimated the time perfectly; at the moment they finished polishing his hooves, the face masks had finished their work. It clung to Nami's skin insistently as she peeled it off, and she made a point not to look at all the nastiness that had adhered to its sticky surface. She tossed it in the trash before looking down at Chopper.

"Would you like to paint your hooves?"

"Uh-huh! Can you paint them to match my PJ's?"

"Of course!" Nami grinned and pulled out her box of nail polish. She had quite the collection; after all, she needed shades for all her outfits! She perused the numerous shades before she found a pair titled _Daffodil Days_ and _Lavender Sunrise_. "We'll all have matching nails, right, Robin?"

"Naturally," she confirmed with a smile. Chopper bounced up and down on the mattress in excitement until Nami tutted at him to be still, lest she smear the paint. She applied the daffodil color as the base, and while it dried on the tips of Chopper's hooves, she and Robin applied it to both their fingernails and toenails (after buffing their own nails, of course). Once they started waving their hands above to dry them faster, Chopper copied the motion, laughing with glee. Once they were sufficiently dry, Nami added a bit of floral flair by dabbing dots on each one to make something reminiscent of lavender blossoms. She added a touch of white on the ends to make them pop. Chopper's eyes went big as he stared at his decorated hooves in wonder.

"Wow, Nami! You're so talented!" he cooed. Nami chuckled, but not too much because she didn't want to blur the paint she was dabbing onto Robin's toenails.

"I'm not the best nail artist, but I have a few tricks up my sleeve."

The girls waited for their nails to dry before adding a coat of sealing polish for gloss, and then their spa routine was complete. "So, Chopper, what did you think of our spa day?"

"It was so much fun!" he squealed, painted hooves waving about in the air. She and Robin chuckled light-heartedly. "Can we do it again sometime?"

"Sure!"

"We'd love to, Chopper." His smile practically radiated sunshine, and Nami was again struck by how absolutely adorable their little doctor was. It was almost like having a child to dote on. Based on the motherly smile Robin gave him as she patted the top of his head, Robin agreed. The smile then fell from his face, and his little shoulders slumped dejectedly. "What is it, Chopper?"

"I'm sad because it's over now…"

"Don't be sad!" Nami grinned, and he looked up at her with wide eyes. "Don't you know what comes after spa days? _Sleepovers_!"

"Oh boy, oh boy!" he cried, instantly elated again. He jumped down from Nami's bed to scurry over to the door and throw it open. "I'm gonna go get a pillow and blanket! And ask Sanji for popcorn! And show everyone my pretty hooves! Oh boy, oh boy, I can't wait!" he howled as he ran down the hall. Nami giggled at his boundless energy and leaned back into her pillows, looking at her now neatly manicured and painted nails.

_Reindeers need pampering every now and then too, I guess!_


	57. Waltz of the Flowers

Category: Romantic Fluff

Fandom: One Piece

Characters: Sanji, Nami

_Aaaaaand I'm back at it with my fifth entry for SanNami week with the Day Five prompt, "Dance"! Happy reading~_

Nami's chest swelled with a deep, relaxed breath as the morning greeted her with the sweet sound of birdsong and the pleasurable warmth of the golden sun streaming through the window. It bathed over the soft, Alabastan cotton sheets and soft down comforter that currently hugged her body to envelop her in a gentle, soothing heat. Nami lazily swept the tangerine locks that slipped into her sleepy face as she rolled onto her face, smiling as she was also greeted by the vulnerable, sleepy visage of her love- and, as of two nights ago, her husband- Sanji. Her lithe fingers slowly traveled over his sharp jawline to feel the stubbly dark hairs that were in stark contrast to his buttercup blonde hair. Her grunted something and instinctively grabbed for her hand, pressing a kiss to her fingertips though he was still entirely unconscious. Nami giggled. Even in his dreams, he was a irresolute gentleman concentrated on treating her like a princess. She debated a moment on waking him, but decided to allow him to rest- after all, yesterday had been the first day of their honeymoon, and the lascivious Nami had sure kept him occupied…

The sheets slipped from Nami's bare shoulders as she rose, slowly so as not to awaken her snoozing lover. Her white silk robe, discarded in the frenzy of the previous night's intimacies, lay in a puddle of milk-white fabric on the floor, and so she bent down to retrieve it and slip it around her person as she lightly hopped off the bed. She tied the straps around her middle as she padded over to the large window, fingers brushing aside the lovely curtains as she basked in the scenic beauty of the countryside.

For their week-long excursion, Sanji and Nami had rented a solitary cabin on a picturesque resort island world-renowned for its "lovers' lane" landscape. Many famous pirates had boasted honeymooning and vacationing at the place, but it paid hefty sums in consolation to the World Government to prevent Marine raids and such. The island boasted a sub-tropical climate zone which allowed for it to maintain a wide variety of microecosystems on its sprawling mass, such that everyone had a destination for their tastes, just about. Nami and Sanji had settled on a quaint little structure settled in prairie-like setting, with a grandiose meadow of flowers stretching around them in all directions pretty much as soon as the building ended. The flower field was framed in a ring of deciduous forest, providing a nice dark contrast to the colorful sea that swirled within its boundaries. Nami eased open the window and breathed in deeply to savor the scent of nectar and aromatic pheromones that danced on the lightly fluttering breeze; just at the foot of the window, a collection of yellow wildflowers swayed in the blades of bright green grass, as if they were dancing in joy that the young navigator was beholding them. Fresh air was good for the soul, so Nami left the window cracked as she stole out of the room.

Her steps were light and skipping, like a fairy's prance through the treetops as she scurried down the hallway and out the front door. Nami wasn't concerned about stopping to eat breakfast; Sanji had a sixth sense for her absence, and he would awaken soon enough. She left the front door open, the only barrier between the house and the natural world a dark screen door, as her bare feet met fresh, loamy soil. The scent of the flower meadow was ten times stronger now that she was standing right in it, and she felt like hundreds of refreshing aromas swirled in her lungs as she took another deep, contented breath. The loose fabric of her robe ruffled around her knees as the wind swept through once more, and the flower petals and their grassy complements sang in a soft hum as if announcing her queenly presence. Nami traveled a few paces down the sandy, winding that demarcated the path to the cabin before crouching down to admire a clump of bright pink flowers growing just by. Her finger swept over the soft petals, softer than the silk she was currently clad in. Then, will a gleeful shout, she jumped from the path to run headlong into the flowery haven, spinning around with her arms in the air in a wild, freeform dance. There was just something about it all that made Nami feel so free and light, like she were on the sea again. This time, a sea of color and blooms.

Humming a tune for which she had long forgotten words, Nami closed her eyes and basked in the warming sunlight and cooling breeze and soft kisses of the growth around her as she began dancing nonsensically through the meadow. Her arms swayed above her head as her body twisted and legs kicked out before her toes touched back down onto the soft soil, only to flip back up a moment later. Her tangerine hair whirled around her like waving ribbons, while her rob flapped lightly like a flag of surrender. Nami was surrendering, surrendering to the sublime majesty of the natural world around her; she could not help but abandon herself to the silent song of the morning light. She opened her eyes to look up at the expanse of baby blue sky above that was clawed with thin, wispy clouds barely concealing the burning sun. A gasp of delight fell from her mouth as a particularly strong gust of wind burst across the meadow, ripping the flower petals asunder to send them spiraling in a vibrant tornado all around her. At first she lamented their loss, but the meadow was still plenty rich yet, and the danced on the ever-shifting wind to be whisked away to carry joy to many others…

Nami's body arched about to find her husband leaning casually in the door frame, arms crossed and a smile painting his face as beautifully as the world around her. He was only wearing a pair of baggy pajama pants and that smile, like it was all he needed to get by. Silently, Nami beckoned him with a languid wave of her hand; he pushed himself off the doorjamb to trod over to her, instantly taking that offered hand of hers to kiss the top lightly, like a king would his queen. Purring merrily, Nami pressed herself against him and wound her arms around his neck, but the tune still throbbed in her fingers, making them dance insistently in his golden threads of hair for relief.

"Good morning."

"Good morning, my love," he whispered as he ran the tip of his nose along her jawline only for his face to hop up to deliver a soft kiss to her cheekbone.

"How long have you been watching me?" she asked, admittedly embarrassed. She probably looked like an idiot, waving around in the meadow like she was trying to summon a devil or something. Sanji snorted lightly in laughter, probably knowing just why she had inquired. His hand traveled a repetitive path up and down her spine and goosebumps rose in the wake of his touch, so prominent that he could likely feel them through the thin fabric of the silk. He pressed another kiss into her cheek, which had reddened considerably since she had uttered the question.

"I'm not sure. I was so enthralled, I lost track of time." Nami's heart immediately swelled. God, this man knew just the things to say to have her swooning like a teenager all over again. At the inviting flutter of her thick eyelashes, he let out a rumbling chuckle before pressing a chaste kiss to her cherry-red lips, hand faltering to rub little rhythmic circles into both of her hips. After the long, lingering peck, he pulled back from her to smirk at her with glittering eyes. "You don't mind if I join you, do you?"

"Not at all," Nami responded happily. He easily pulled her into a waltzing position, like they had assumed two nights prior. They were a far cry from the regal couple clothed in a wedding dress and a tuxedo, but Nami felt no less the blushing bride in her little white robe with her handsome partner clad only in pajama bottoms. With a flourish and a laugh, Sanji began spinning her animatedly through the flowers, their bare feet swishing through the blades of grass and delicate flowers as they made the meadow their own private ballroom. The wind playfully nipped at them in conjunction, spraying them in the perfume of their honeymoon hideaway. Nami buried her face into the crook of Sanji's neck; the pleasing aroma of the flowers mingled well with his robust scent of spices and herbs and cigarette smoke. He pulled her flush to her body as he dropped kisses into her hair like raindrops. "Will you dance with me like this forever?" she asked him suddenly, against his skin.

"Every day for the rest of our lives," he affirmed without hesitation. A smile curled onto Nami's lips. What a man to fall in love with, she was reminded every single day…


	58. Home

Category: Romantic Fluff

Characters: Sanji, Nami

_Hello, everybody! Here is the story for SanNami Week's Day Six Prompt, "Home"! Enjoy~_

_**Alternatum to Sunrise**_

Sanji's index finger tapped against the top of his hand in time with the gentle rocking of the ship, timing his insomnia in a relentlessly ticking clock. He had gone to bed hours ago, but not a wink of sleep had been gifted to him. It was not altogether surprising, considering the sheer amount of adrenaline that had soared through his veins over the last forty-eight hours. He probably wouldn't sleep for several days following the Straw Hats' dramatic and eventful clash with the Emperor Big Mom to recover the kidnapped cook. His arms and legs still twitched occasionally with the innate need to be active in some way, though the fighting and running was now far from over. With a weary sigh, Sanji threw the sheets off of him to quietly climb out of the hanging wooden box that served as his bunk, because sleep was apparently going to evade him tonight.

His footfalls were light and sure as he carefully padded over to the exit of the boys' bedroom; everyone was still recovering from their injuries and required their rest, after all, and more importantly he did not want to suffer through an interrogation of what exactly he was doing awake in the wee hours of the morning. The _Thousand Sunny_ groaned in greeting as he traveled her winding halls until he reached the door leading to the main deck. The bottom of the metal door brushed over the tufted green grass that grew evenly over the surface of the deck as he opened it, and the cool night air instantly jumped in to also give its salutations in the form of swirling whispers. It played with Sanji's tousled blonde hair with eager little fingers, plucking up the light strands like bird's feathers while he walked outside into night's theater, hands automatically sliding into his pajama pants pockets. The performance was in full swing, with the symphony of the sloshing waves and murmuring salt-spray wind illuminated by the lighting of the Milky Way galaxy stretching in all its majesty against the curtains of black, all composed by the brilliant moon. Sanji breathed in deep, and the way the salt particles tickled the inner membranes of his nose to deliver the tang of the endless sea brought peace of mind that he was _home_.

The soft embrace of the grassy blades brushing over his bare feet; the gentle moaning of the wooden structure as she shifted endlessly in the onslaught of the rolling waves; the muted pungency of tangerines floating down from Nami's well-tended grove; the painted Jolly Roger flapping serenely in the fluttering wind- all these indicators and more delved into Sanji's senses, pervading him with gentle tranquility. He had to fight the urge to pop a cigarette into his mouth and light it, as he had left the box of them and his lighter on the beside table in the room. Though he had been infinitely more stressed, Sanji actually hadn't smoked that much on Whole Cake island- only on the few instances he so desperately longed for some semblance of home, in the form of tarry fumes filling up his lungs. It was funny, how the subconscious began associating things together like that.

Sanji's attention was captured by the opening of the steel door behind him. He tossed a glance back to see a very startled Nami hanging halfway out of the door, blinking in shock. His mouth curled up into a light smirk.

"Oh, don't mind me." Her eyes flickered about for a moment as she debated returning to her bedroom, but she settled for slipping out of the doorway to join Sanji for an unscheduled early morning rendezvous. A matching set of pastel yellow pajama shorts and tank top adorned with little illustrations of a waddling duckling hugged her body as she leaned back against the door, hands behind her back resting against its surface as she eyed him curiously. Evidently Nami had slept very restlessly, as her orange hair was crimped and curled and tousled much more than Sanji would imagine. "What're you doing up so early?" She didn't look like she wanted to initiate awkward conversation, so Sanji elected to do the job. A haze of pink dusted across her cheeks like a comet trail.

"Ah… I usually don't sleep well before or after big battles… I always wake up in the middle of the night. Stargazing usually helps me calm down," she answered self-consciously. The way she was wriggling her shoulders dressed in those impossibly cute pajamas made Sanji's heart start skipping beats. She really was the most adorable thing, when she wasn't beating one of them over the head and screeching at them for their idiocy. They were deserved scoldings, obviously, and when Nami was angry, Sanji thought she had all the radiance of a war goddess… But he very much like this timid, shy side of her as well. Her eyes, which had been focused on him, flickered up to behold the collection of celestial objects glimmering above their heads. Sanji's heart clenched at the small smile that instantly alit her moonlit face. "They're just comforting somehow… Is that weird?" she whined while looking back at him bashfully.

"I don't think so. I think lots of people find ease that way," he answered with a reassuring smile.

"What're you doing out here, Sanji?"

"I couldn't sleep either. It was so hellacious out there for so long that my body still hasn't calmed down," he replied with an experimental flex of his hand. His nerves were still humming with vigor, like a live wire. "I figured a small walk would burn off some of this excess energy." He tossed a glance over the small landscape of their trust ship, sighing wistfully. "I think I still need to convince myself that I'm really home…"

"Well, then, welcome home." He looked back at her with raised eyebrows at the peculiar remark. Smiling, she detached herself from the door to scamper over to him, stopping to stare up at him in almost childlike affection. "You said you need to be convinced that you're home, right? Well, surely me telling you 'welcome home' will help!" she laughed while making that cute little face where she poked out the tip of her tongue. He always melted on sight at that roguish little gesture, and this instance was no exception; his body visibly slumped as he just looked at her with the purest fondness. God, how he loved her….

The record scratched in Sanji's conscious mind. He did love Nami; he had known that for a very long time, only he had never bothered to act on those feelings because the anvil that was his neurotic family had always been looming overhead. Now, however, all of that was out in the open… There was no longer any reason to fear that his Vinsmoke name would come back to bite it in the ass, since it already had and tore a nice big chunk out of it to boot, but he had escaped alive with the healing wound… So, then, what was stopping him now? Absolutely _nothing_, that's what.

Simpering impishly, he pulled his hand from his pocket to cup one of her cheeks, relishing the heat that blazed over her skin at his light caress. "S-Sanji?" She was gawking at him in a mixture of confusion and anxiety, but the fact that she did not immediately recoil at his touch spurred Sanji to continue.

"I'm home, Nami-swan." The purr rumbled in his chest like far-off thunder. Her lips parted as she inhaled sharply when he stepped a little closer to her, just barely hovering in front of her lightly quivering form. Her gaze dropped to the hand holding her cheek as the blush on her face deepened, but Sanji made no further movements, waiting for her reaction. After a few seconds, she placed a mildly trembling hand over his own, her slender fingers curling around his palm to clutch it tightly.

"Are you gonna kiss me or what?" He couldn't help but release a snorting chuckle at her bluntness and the intensity sparkling in those warm brown eyes of hers. Hell, though, he definitely wasn't going to refuse. He watched Nami's eyes drift shut as his face descended over her own to gently, softly, but zealously envelop her mouth with his own. He had to suppress a satisfied groan, because he never would've imagined how impossibly soft those lips of hers were, like buoyant clouds sheathed in the finest silk on the Grand Line… As he rolled his mouth rhythmically over hers, he felt her fingers gradually tightening around his hand, like it was the only thing grounded her into the moment. Sanji could definitely understand the sentiment; he felt like a honeyed fog was drifting through his body, making him light and airy enough to float away at the slightest breeze. It was amazing, the things she could do to him, simply by existing in his vicinity.

"Nami," he murmured softly as he pulled away from her, but only just, making sure to press his forehead affectionately against hers. Her blush had dwindled into a persistent flush of baby pink, spreading across her cheeks and the bridge of her nose. That hand had never left his for a second, and her other was now grazing the back of his neck to play with his tousled locks of blonde hair.

"Don't leave again." So demanding and stern, she was, he thought with another rumbling chuckle.

"Never," he affirmed her while circling his free arm loosely around her hips. "My home is here, after all." In that moment, he wasn't sure if he was referring to the ship, or simply to her… Most likely the latter, because to him, the ship wasn't home without her. Nami seemed to realize this too and flushed again, smiling in embarrassment and joy.

They continued to hold each other like that, simply enjoying the idea of being one another's _home_, long after the sun had begun to peek curiously over the horizon…


	59. A Canvas of Stars

Category: Romantic Fluff

Characters: Sanji, Nami

_Hello, everybody! Here's the story for SanNami Week's Day Seven Prompt, "Touch"! Can you believe it's almost over? :c _

Usopp's face was screwed into a tight frown as he peered through the binoculars at the glittering expanse of stars above. It was a magnificent display, like a swathe of diamond paint streaming across a midnight blue canvas, but despite all its sparkling brilliance, Usopp seemed unimpressed. He lowered the binoculars to give Nami a dour, unconvinced look.

"I don't see any meteors yet. Are you sure that the calendar is right, Nami?" She pursed her lips at the impatient inquisition, crossing her arms and tossing her tangerine hair with an affronted huff.

"It's not an exact science, Usopp! We've only been up here for five minutes. Give it a minute, will ya?" she scolded before walking across the wooden floor of the observation deck to snuggle into the space beside Sanji. She drew her knees up against her chest as she reclined lazily against his own, one arm snaking up behind his neck so her fingers could take turns between teasing the stiff fabric of his suit collar and his soft, twistable strands of hair. If she had done this six months ago, she would have a splatter of blood splashing across her locks that would rival an assault victim's. However, after six months of dating, the lascivious cook had grown accustomed enough to her constant need for cuddles that he could refrain from bursting into a massive nosebleed at the slightest inkling of affection. Sanji pulled his cigarette from his mouth, releasing the plume of thin, wispy smoke above her head, before dropping a kiss into her orange waves with a sweet smile.

Nami, being the responsible one of the crew, naturally possessed a calendar that she dutifully kept up during their meandering, chaotic voyage. It was a special edition manufactured by the wizards of Weatheria that included all sorts of information on the year's predicted weather and atmospheric phenomena. Nami had happened to take a passing glance at the date and noticed that a meteor shower was hypothesized to occur around midnight that evening and had subsequently wrestled the crew into an impromptu viewing party. Logically, they were all nestled into the absolute best viewing spot on the ship, the domed observation deck situated above the crow's nest. It had only been five minutes since midnight, but the more impatient of the crew members were beginning to grow antsy with inactivity.

"Come on, you stupid stars! Start _falling_!" Luffy whined and began beating on the glass window angrily, because it wasn't like he could punch the endless sky above like he wished. Nami rolled her eyes far enough back in her head to stretch the ligaments; they were so annoyingly hasty. _Maybe I should have only told Sanji, that way we could have a private viewing in peace, _she thought with a terse frown. Sanji, sensing her souring mood, chuckled lightly and swept the tresses of her hair from her frowning face to press a light, chaste kiss against her cheek.

"Don't worry, Nami-swan. Once it starts, they'll forget they were annoyed in the first place." That was true enough. Their neurons were only capable of propagating one emotional response at a time. She exhaled deeply and tried to force herself to relax, lounging almost entirely against his sturdy body. She sat with her side facing the back of the circular booth-like seat stretching around the room. One of Sanji's legs bent at the knee behind her, and the other hung lazily off the bench to provide a rather lovely armrest for Nami. Her back was flush to his muscular trunk, enough that she could feel the gentle rhythm of his heartbeats and the relaxed rise and fall of his chest. It felt nice, snuggling with him like that, and so Nami's nerves eased a little faster than average, especially since she could dissipate all her grouchy energy by playing incessantly with his hair. She had already threaded three or four braids into the long ends of his blonde locks.

"Oooh! I saw one!" Chopper exclaimed and pointed a hoof at the ceiling. The rest of the Straw Hats eyes followed just in time to see a thin, white line streak quickly through the painted sky. Immediately after, several of them began striping through the arrangement of stars, like a pencil scratching lines into thick paint. Collectively, they all released awed sighs; simple, but beautiful, it was- a gentle reminder of the majestic capabilities of the natural world around them. Basking in the silence as the crew's eyes locked onto the meteor shower, Nami's lips finally curled into a natural smile.

"They're gorgeous," she breathed as she tilted back her head to run the tip of her nose along the defined edge of Sanji's jawline, while her chestnut eyes remained trained on the raining stars above. A rumble of amusement vibrated in his chest as one of his arms slipped down. His index finger swirled abstract patterns into the bare skin of her left thigh, which was exposed by her jean shorts bunching up nearer to her waist from her exaggerated angle. It felt like he was printing the Milky Way itself into her tanned skin; the pad of his finger would smoothly trail in a thick line before skipping around in little dots, then run swaying waves and then start all over again.

The little touches ignited lightning fires in her nerves, sending jittery tingles up into the junction of her hip down to her toes. Contented and a little aroused, Nami stretched out her leg fully to allow him unrestricted access to the canvas that was her skin, while her brown eyes tore themselves away from the night sky to give him a seductive stare. "Not interested in the meteor shower, hmm?"

"Oh, they're lovely, but not nearly as lovely as the fiery little comet I have sitting next to me right now." His sultry purr elicited a minuscule moan of pleasure from her, and she pushed her fingers further up the back of his head to prompt him to tilt his head down. Playfully, his lips brushed over hers while his hand continued to create artistry all over her thigh, breath puffing like stardust over her lightly flushing face. When Sanji actually had a handle on his raging fantasies, he was quite the exciting flirt. It was almost effortless for him to snatch her breath away, even six months into the venture. Still, he didn't turn Nami's mind entirely to mush.

"So, you're saying I have a _heavenly body_?" He snorted, forehead dropping to press against hers as he struggled to keep from outright laughing at her corny joke. Nami grinned cheekily, sticking out her tongue as he looked at her in giddy delight.

"I'm trying to be _romantic_, love," he wheezed lightly, still struggling to contain his little chuckles. His other hand had begun decorating her right shoulder with the celestial patterns now, and his left hand stilled to wrap tightly around her middle and hold her against his body. All the while, he drew that invisible artwork on her, the creation that only she could admire through the titillating touches. Nami decided to forgo the space puns for now- Usopp was spitting them rapid-fire across the room and had Luffy and Chopper in stitches- in favor of allowing her boyfriend to dote on her as he wished. She fluttered her eyelashes at him, face upturned invitingly, and she paused to admire the reflections of the meteors streaking through his dark black eyes. They were like a dark nebula, the black only betrayed by distinct bends of the light that made smoky gray streams flow through his irises. She reached up to stroke a few fingers against his stubbled cheek, before cupping it tenderly and all but pulling him into a smoldering kiss.

His lips washed like gentle waves over hers, silk-smooth and pliant. They only kissed for a moment or so, as Nami did not wish for the immature boys to notice and chide them. Sanji looked a little disappointed as she moved back, but he immediately resumed covering her body in that invisible paint, jumping from her right shoulder to her left. She craned her head back to rest it against his shoulder while he began dotting little kisses over her neck, blotting her with distinct galaxies. Her eyes beheld the shimmering streams of light raining down from the heavens. She was the only one aware that Sanji was catching them to spread stardust and light all over her body with his caressing touches. _A heavenly body, indeed…_ she thought wryly as her skin hummed with energy, like she was a tiny star slowly growing into something greater. Even long after the meteor shower ended and they all retired for the evening, Nami could feel the indistinct marks he had left on her, the proof of a universe's worth of unbridled love and affection…


	60. Citrine

Category: Romantic Fluff

Characters: Sanji, Nami

_Ah! The end of SanNami Week is here! Behold, my final story for the Day 8 prompt, "Festival." I had a lot of fun writing this adorable couple and rest assured that there will still be plenty of SanNami love to come even after the end of the event. Enjoy, my lovelies!_

"Wow… They don't call it the Citrine Isle for nothing!" Nami breathed in pure amazement as she and the rest of her crewmates stood beneath the ornate arch that marked the entrance- or exit, in their case- to the dock of one of the many wonders of the Grand Line. It was a beautiful structure, carved of honey-hued golden oak with the island's name painted upon its smooth surface in bright white lettering accented with streaks of caramel shade to give it a three-dimensional pop. Behind it, the town's harbor-front businesses stretched over the sandy cobblestone in either direction; the cityscape was obviously confronted with an aesthetic in mind, as the buildings all featured the same golden oak accents with cream-colored siding and dark tawny shingles to tie it all together. The color scheme called perfect attention to the town's namesake, the beautiful golden-brown gem that served as the November birthstone. Nami was a July baby, but she nevertheless appreciated the commitment to style.

As if the town wasn't already bursting to the brim with demanding panache, there was currently a festival taking place, as evidenced by the tinny music floating on the sea breeze and the decorations plastered everywhere possible. To give the town a bit of a natural flair, it was decked out with arrangements of fall flowers in tune with its golden-white artistic vision, bronze dahlias and white lilies accented by tufts of tiny white wildflowers. They bloomed brightly in pots at every corner and sat in baskets atop barrels alongside white and golden streamers strung over the archways and fences. At the junctions of the streamers, Nami was floored to see little clusters of real citrines glittering as they caught the rays of sunlight. "Do they really have these just out on display? Their mines must be slap-full of them! Someone could walk off with these…"

"Don't get any ideas, Nami," Zoro scolded her from a few feet away, making her snort in derision. Of course she wasn't going to just waltz off with her pockets full of the precious gems… She would at least enjoy the festival first, duh. Her mood was a little lightened as Sanji pirouetted over to drop one of the lilies into the fold of her ear. "Aw, thank you, Sanji," she cooed as she ran the pad of her index finger over the soft, delicate petals. Though sometimes the timing was a bit annoying, Nami found that more recently she didn't mind in indulging in his little affectionate gestures, even when it wasn't exactly beneficial to her in any way.

"Anything for you, Nami-swan, my dear~"

While admiring the town around them, the crew of pirates had meandered into the market district of the town where the festival proper was taking place; the music was being provided by a string quartet nestled in the corner of two shops right beside them, creating a very pleasing melodic tune, so pleasing that Nami was even gracious enough to drop a few Belli coins into the little pail that was serving as their donation box. As soon as they hit the celebration, they all scattered like marbles; Luffy flung himself to the closest meat stand while Zoro wandered off in search of booze, Usopp and Franky bee-lined for the games, Robin escorted Chopper and Carrot to a little stand that was selling real flower crowns, Brook whipped out a violin (though she wasn't sure where from) to muscle his way into the performance, while Jinbei sat himself on the edge of the bubbling fountain at the center of the plaza to keep an eye on the lot of them. This left Nami and Sanji to their own devices, and since the young woman was otherwise unoccupied, he sidled over to offer him one of his arms. "My dear Nami-swan, would you care if I escort you around the festival today?" he purred like the perfect gentleman, but his eyes were sparkling like a little boy who had just been given loads of Belli to spend in a candy shop. She was in a good mood, so she obliged him, hooking her slender arm into the crook of his.

"Why sure, Sanji." His face alit like the rising sun as he beamed brilliantly, his body giving a happy wiggle. "Why don't we look at the jewelry stand?" she suggested sweetly with a flutter of her eyelashes. Steam blew from his nose as his face took on a rosy hue, and with a gran flourish, he spirited Nami away to the aforementioned display.

Of course it would not be a citrine festival if the gemstone was not featured in some way, so naturally the fixation of the festival was the crafts produced from the precious crystals. There were several vendors touting their homemade wares and Nami's eyes eagerly swept over them all, hoping to purchase a new accessory or two to spice up her wardrobe. It wasn't every day they stumbled across markets that featured real gems, after all, and since they were in surplus, they were far cheaper than anywhere else. "What do you think, Sanji?" she cooed as she held up two different necklaces. Both were gold, but one featured one large circular citrine in a pendant while the other had several smaller, dangling bits of gemstones decorating its chain. Sanji grasped his chin with a hand as his dark eyes flickered between the two options, before he pointed to the latter.

"That one. It'll match better with the earrings you were eyeing." Nami quirked an eyebrow at him, impressed at his level of attention. She purchased the matching set and installed him on her person before sighing contentedly. Nothing like a bit of pizzazz to spice up her life.

The rest of the crew was still very much reveling in the festival but Nami had more or less gotten what she wanted, so she and Sanji walked over to one of the flower-adorned benches to take a breather. She expected Sanji to get up and go about his own business, but he merely lounged beside her, legs crossed and one arm slung lazily behind the bench.

"Sanji? Isn't there anything you would like to do?"

"Not particularly. I'm just fine spending time with you, Nami-swan!" he grinned at her, burning cigarette clenched between his pearly white teeth. Nami gave him a warmed smile. It was easy to forget sometimes that though his perverted nature sometimes tended to dominate, he was actually a very sweet and caring person at heart. _Wait, _she thought, surprised at herself for the notion. Was she actually getting soft for Sanji? After all, the Big Mom incident had been very tough on her, and she had done a lot of soul-searching and contemplation about how she felt for the man, but… It couldn't possibly be that she was actually in love with him, right? The thought alone sent a haze of pink blooming over her cheeks. She had to distract herself before her mind ventured into dangerous territory.

"Oh, Sanji, look, an exotic spice stand! I'm sure that you'll find something you want there!" she shouted much too loudly and jerked up from the bench. He cried out in alarm and clamped down on the cigarette to keep it from flying from his mouth as she wrenched him off the bench by his arm. He stumbled clumsily after her as she hauled him to the stand, and she ignored his confused stammering, mostly because she could barely hear him for the roar of blood in her ears. She deposited him roughly in front of the puzzled shop owner and straightened up, smoothing down the disarrayed fibers of her hair and settling her choppy breathing to give him an innocent smile. "Look, Sanji! They're all autumn spices…"

"Well, I guess I could stock up on some things, and I could always use more ideas for cooking," he muttered as he leaned over the arrangement of spices. Nami stood tensely beside him, hands clasped in front of her wispy skirt and trying to focus on the aromatic blend flavoring the air rather than the way his muscles were painfully flexing beneath his suit. It didn't help when he rolled up the sleeves to expose his taut forearm under the premise of testing the spices without accidentally dusting the black fabric. It wasn't hot at all, but she began to sweat a little; this little venture had had the opposite affect she had wanted! She was attracted to him, dammit, with his stupid body and how cute he looked poring so intently on some damn insignificant spices. Flushing, she put her hands to her cheeks and looked away. They burned uncomfortably against her fingers. "Nami-swan? Are you feverish?" She jumped a little and looked back to see him peering worriedly at her.

"Ahahaha! No! I'm fine," she lied, ducking her head to hide the blush creeping up her cheeks. Out of the corners of her eyes, she saw him blink and rub the back of his neck, obviously wondering how to proceed with the conversation. "Oh, is that ice cream?!" she yelled at the prime escape opportunity and darted off into the crowd, leaving him a puzzled mess.

"Nami…?"

A few minutes later she was once more sitting on a bench, a cone of pear-apple ice cream melting all over her hands. She lifted it to her mouth to give it a forlorn lick. She really was hopeless; she was so obviously crushing on the suave, handsome cook that it was painful. It had obviously sprung up on her in the aftermath of his kidnapping, or maybe it had always been there and she was trying to convince herself that it wasn't. Nami didn't know, and she also didn't know what the hell she was going to _do_ about it. "There you are." Sanji's voice was proceeded by his shadow falling over her, and she looked up at him with a light gasp. "You're wasting that, you know," he sighed as he knelt down to begin wiping at her fruit-and-cream-covered hands with a napkin. "Seriously, you run off like that and you don't even eat it? You're acting weird, Nami-swan." The action of his hands gently sweeping over her skin send shockwaves of energy shooting up her arms, making them shake a little. This was not lost on him, and his eyes flickered up to meet hers, concerned and interrogatory. "What's up? You can tell me, you know."

Could she, though? Sanji flirted with her a lot, sure, but that's all it was- flirting. Flirting did not necessarily mean attraction and it certainly didn't necessarily mean romantic feelings. What if she told him how she felt and he panicked and ran, and now their friendship was effectively ruined? The dilemma must've shown on her expression, because he reached up to gently cup both of her cheeks and sweep his thumbs over them to catch the frustrated tears that spilled from her lashes. "Please tell me what's wrong!" he begged her, voice thick with emotion. She could tell he was impossibly confused that her mood had basically one-eightied in the last five minutes. He was looking at her so eagerly. Maybe… Maybe he wouldn't react that poorly…?

"I… I think… I have feelings for you, Sanji," she admitted slowly, in a meek little whisper. Somehow she retained the willpower to continue looking at him, and her stomach twisted as his expression morphed into a blank one. Oh, God, she was already regretting it; she could just see it in her mind's eye, him jumping up and running off so fast that a dust outline was left in his wake. Unable to bear it any longer, she cringed and squeezed her eyes shut. "I'm sorry! Please don't make it weird between us-"

"Do you mean it, Nami?" She inhaled sharply; he had dropped his unique honorific for her, meaning he was deadly serious right now. Eyes still screwed shut, she nodded her head emphatically. Oh, she knew she should look at him, but she couldn't bear to! What if he looked scared, or pitiful of her? It was too much. She squirmed and twitched on the bench as her mind spiraled into fearful fantasies. Then, suddenly, she felt something light and soft brush over her lips. _What…? _"You're cute." Her cheeks blazed a rose red as she recognized Sanji's lips whispering the words against her own, then closed again to give her another sweet, chaste kiss. The combined scent of cigarette smoke and strong spices tickled her nose and made it crinkle. Finally, she was able to force her eyes open to cautiously peek at him. He immediately flashed her that goofy grin. "What, did you think I was going to say '_too bad_'?" he laughed, tossing his head back slightly as his shoulders shook with heavy chortles. "You sure get some funny ideas in that pretty head of yours…" The rumbling purr made Nami's body shiver in all the right ways. He was still crouched in front of her, on the tips of his toes with his hands pressed against the wooden seat on either side of her hips and his head tilted up as he gazed up at her in pure amusement.

"Don't make fun of me… I was stressed," she whined meekly, puffing out her cheeks. His lips curled into a slight smirk. _Smug asshole… _she thought, but endearingly. She gasped as he suddenly snatched the half-melted ice cream cone out of her hand to take a big bite out of the creamy concoction. "Hey!"

"You weren't gonna eat it. I ain't gonna let it melt to a puddle all over my shoes," he shrugged, and the way he swept his tongue over his lips to lick up the leftover cream made her toes curl a little in her sandals as heat pulsed in every cell she had. He finished off the cone fairly quickly, licking the excess of the tips of his fingers, before gesturing to the ice cream that was decorating her hands in dripping streams. "Shall I?"

"I can do it myself!" she cried, both mortified and excited by his insinuations, before taking the discarded napkins and cleaning her hands angrily. "Don't get cocky now that we're a thing! God, I preferred you as a lovesick idiot-"

"So we _are_ a thing?"

"I didn't say that!"

"Yeah, you did."

"Shut up!" She flopped back against the bench, face burning and heart hammering. Sanji chuckled and continued to perch in front of her, looking all kinds of sexy with that amused smirk on his face.

"Wanna get back to the festival now?" he chuckled at her, finally standing and offering her a hand. Nami side-eyed it, before groaning in defeat and taking it. He pulled her to her feet and immediately interlocked their fingers, looking much too pleased with how things had turned out.

"I'm high-maintenance, you know," she warned him with raised eyebrows. "Are you sure you want to sign up for this?"

"I think I can manage," he snorted with a cocky leer. She rolled her eyes but smiled slightly, tightening her grip on his fingers.

"Fine, but I want a citrine bracelet now~"

"Ugh, go for my wallet, why don't you…"

"Did you expect anything less?" she laughed as she pushed herself against his side and propped her chin on his shoulder with a demure grin. He huffed haughtily at her, then pressed a light kiss to her forehead. She wouldn't say it aloud, but she was glad that the festival turned out this way too…


	61. Special Delivery

Category: Mild Romantic Fluff

Characters: Sabo, Koala

_Greetings, everyone! I hope everyone is safe and well. Here is my first story for Saboala Week's Day One prompt, "Cake." I hope everyone enjoys it! ^.^_

Koala's hat bobbed cutely up and down as she springily strolled down white-paved streets, a hum purring from her chest and a pleased smile gracing her round face. Her hands were primly pointed, fingers pressed together in planes, as she swung her arms jovially with every step. Koala just couldn't help but be in such a pleasant mood; on this summer island the Revolutionary Army was temporarily hiding out in, the sun was constantly shining and the air was warm with butterflies and bumblebees bobbing about in the overabundance of flowers everywhere. It was a relatively small island, far off the radar for Marines and their ilk, and so Koala didn't have to scurry around like a marauder in an ugly dull cloak. A rebel girl had to take her little victories where she could!

Koala stopped in her tracks as a delicious, absolutely mouth-watering scent graced her nostrils. _Sweet… _she thought blankly as the delectable aroma thoroughly numbed any and all of her thought processes. She swiped a wet tongue across her lips as it tingled with the need for sugar. Like a beast prowling its prey, Koala stalked her way down the sidewalk following the saccharine perfume until she arrived at the source- a quaint little bakery wedged between a bookstore and a flower shop. One of its glass windows was open, allowing the aroma of fruit-filled pastries and sweet frosting and robust breads to seep out into the street. Koala's fingers wiggled as she held them up in front of the doorknob. What she was smelling must be cake! Oh, how long it had been since she had partaken in a good cake… Constantly being on the run and all, such delicacies were very few and far between. Her eyes flashes with insane need as she wrenched the door open and ran right up to the glass display case, crouching down to press her face into the glass and smear hot breath and drool all over its clear surface.

"Smells so _good_…" She growled. Her stomach chimed in agreement with a twist in her belly.

"Hehehe, I appreciate the enthusiasm, but I ask that you please not tap the glass. It scares them," came a light laugh from above her. Koala glanced up to see a pretty young woman in an apron leaning over the counter smiling at her, cheek leaned in her hand. Koala detached herself from the glass and wiped off her spit that she had so grossly spread all over it.

"Sorry. They just look and smell so delicious!"

"Why, thank you. What a high compliment to receive from a tourist."

"Is it that obvious?" Koala laughed as she stood and rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly. The woman laughed good-naturedly.

"This town is very close-knit. Everyone knows everyone, especially since we get a flood of tourism due to the climate. We all help each other out to promote our businesses."

"Oh! How very nice!" Koala clasped her hands together as her eyes sparkled with admiration. What could she say; she just loved some good camaraderie. Enough small talk, however; Koala was on a mission! "I would like to buy some cake. What would you recommend?"

"Well, that depends. What are you in the mood for?"

"Something light and fluffy and sweet!" Koala grinned widely. A bubble of drool began to leak from the corner of her smile; she could practically taste the sweet buttercream melting over her tongue, feel the soft, moist texture of spongey cake oozing with honey… Koala dissolved into pastry fantasies, chortling under her breath, and the baker had to snap her fingers in front of her face a few times to return her to reality. "Sorry. It's been a long time since I had a really good dessert…"

"I understand," the woman laughed. She turned to crouch down behind the counter and begin rifling around in the various options. "I have a few options for you. Since you're such a lovely young lady and it's your first time here, I'll give you three slices for the price of one. You have to make me a deal though; if you like them, you have to come back again real soon and bring your friends!"

Koala nearly collapsed in gratuitous tears. She slumped over the counter as blissful tears rolled down her cheeks, watching with reverence as the baker packaged the three slices of cake for her in a pastel pink box and tied a thin red ribbon around it.

"You are an angel… I can never repay your kindness."

"Hehe, the only repayment I need is you enjoying this to the fullest!" Koala took the box and handed over the appropriate amount of change before hugging the cake box to her chest protectively. It was a long journey back to the ship and she had to defend her treats at all costs! She could eat them now, but the necessity companion to tea was sweet milk- which she would have to return to the ship for. Koala bid the very nice baker a jovial farewell before bounding out of the shop, running back towards the docks- but not too fast, so as not to jostle her cake.

She had to collect all her willpower to keep drool from dribbling down her chin and soaking through the top of the box. She was so excited to see what selections the baker had given her! She had no doubt that she was going to enjoy them to the fullest, and was already anticipating a return trip. What a lucky break for her that she had stumbled upon the bakery on her morning walk!

* * *

Koala was trouncing victoriously down the hall with her cake box in one hand and a jug of milk in the other when she suddenly stopped in her tracks, one leg still hiked up in mid-step. Sabo's door was closed. It was almost never closed; it was at least always cracked. A caramel eyebrow began to creep up her forehead. Could he actually be working?

"Sabo?" Koala called as she knocked lightly on the door to his room. Though their ship was nothing too out of the ordinary to keep from arousing suspicion, the important officers all had their own quarters so they could do light workouts or work on tasks in relative peace. Her hand fell down to the doorknob to turn it when Sabo grunted for her to enter. She poked her head curiously through the crack she made in the doorway, eyes slightly widened; normally, he would jump right up to throw open the door and greet her because it was an excuse to get away from his desk for five minutes. It seemed that Koala had stumbled across one of the rare instances where he was actually motivated. His back was to her as he sat hunched over his desk sitting beneath the small circular window, stacks upon stacks of papers piled up around him. His pen was wobbling frantically as he scrawled ink all over a piece of paper before shifting it to a pile and grabbing another. Koala smiled softly at the sight. When he actually did want to get down to business, he was very hard-working and efficient. "How long have you been in here?"

His ben stopped as he tilted his head back to tally up the time. He rubbed his chin with a gloved hand before she saw the muscles of his jaw clench in a grimace.

"Several hours, at least." He winced as his stomach growled angrily, so loud that Koala could hear it for the doorway. "Ehe… I don't think I've eaten since this morning," he laughed bashfully. Sabo was an early riser; undoubtedly, he had been up since at least six. It was now approaching noon. "I'll just finish these few documents and then I'll head down to get something," he said to himself before looking over his shoulder at Koala. "Did you need something?"

The door was still covering her hands, which held the milk and cake. She glanced down at the box with a complicated look. Three pieces of cake sure was a lot for one person… And Sabo loved sweets. He was working so hard, even depriving himself of food in favor of finishing his task at hand. Koala ought to be a good person and offer some to him. He wasn't a brute that would abuse her generosity and steal all her cake. Smiling, she kicked the door open with the toe of her boot and walked into the room. He turned around in his chair with widening eyes fixed on the cute box. "What's that?"

"Special delivery- cake from a bakery in town. Would you like some, Sabo?" she offered kindly. The childish glint of glee that alighted his black eyes did not go unnoticed to her, nor did the way his eyes followed the cake box as she carried it over and set it down on his desk. He shoved the piles casually aside to make plenty of room, allowing her to set down the pitcher of milk and cups and forks she had brought along as well. She untied the string and pulled the box open, and the two of them just stood there stupidly for a second, mouths open and watering as they beheld the masterpieces contained within.

"Smells yummy," he rumbled in admiration. He looked for a second like he was going to pounce, then flickered his gaze to her and sheepishly sat back in his seat. "Ah-ahem, you bought them, Koala, so you pick which one you want first," he offered politely with his chin upturned regally. Koala giggled as his upper-class instincts bled out a little. She took a fork and jabbed it into the whole strawberry sitting on top of what looked like a strawberry shortcake, plucking it from the hold of the white icing to bring it to her mouth. She jumped up to sit slightly on the corner of the desk, legs crossed and just bumping against his arm as she relished in the sweet creation.

"It's so delicious~" she purred as she ascended to the heavenly plane. Sabo laughed and set to eating what appeared to be vanilla confetti cake. She felt bad that Sabo couldn't try it too. Well, actually, why not? She scooped up some of the cake and then pressed the fork to his lips. His eyebrows arched in surprise and he just looked at her, cake resting against his lips. "Try it, Sabo!" she insisted, pushing the fork into his mouth a few times. Eyes locked on her face, he slowly parted his mouth to enclose the cake in his mouth, teeth scraping over the fork as he pulled back. He continued to watch her as he chewed thoughtfully.

"'S good."

"Isn't it?" she trilled before shoving another bite in her mouth without thinking. She then stiffened when she realized what exactly had transpired, teeth clamping down on the fork with enough force to shatter it. _That was… Pretty much… An indirect kiss, right? _Of course! That's why Sabo had been so weirded out by the gesture! Face flushing pink, she peeked out of the corners of her eyes at him to see him calmly eating the rest of his confetti cake. He didn't seem to be too bothered… Maybe she was overthinking it and he was just a little surprised?

Despite her attempts to reassure herself, she still fidgeted uncomfortable on the desk. After all, there was no denying Sabo was incredibly handsome, capable, and above all, kind. Every woman's dream! Koala didn't want to muddy their professional relationship with any personal endeavors, but she was still a girl- a girl that was crushing hard on Sabo. Most of the time she was able to bury it and act all aloof and unbothered, but it was times like these that it managed to escape its cage and run rampant through her system. With shaky hands, she tried to pour herself a glass of milk and down it like a shot to use it as a placebo for her nerves; thanks to the tremors, she ended up spilling half of it down her front and choking on the rest. Sabo jumped up with a yelp as she doubled over hacking and dripping the white liquid onto her clothes and the floor.

"Koala? You okay?"

"Wr-wrong pipe," she wheezed, trying to play it off. He grabbed the closest thing, the towel he had probably used for his bath that morning, and pushed her up by her shoulder to begin wiping the milk off her front and chin. Her face blazed a shade darker as the towel passed under her nose, brining with it Sabo's scent of cologne and parchment with the faintest hint of soot. With an involuntary squeak, she jumped back, making the piles of paper wobble precariously.

"Sorry, did I press a little too hard?" Sabo blinked obliviously down at her. The towel still hovered in front of her face as he awaited her permission to continue. Instead, Koala grabbed the towel from him and scrubbed her face and blouse herself, still bright pink.

"N-no, it just tickled a little," she lied lamely. When she was sure she had dried herself the best she could, she let the towel fall down into her lap and slumped her body in a weary sigh. _I just have to go and make a fool of myself, _she thought broodingly. As her lips poked out in a dour little pout, she glanced back at Sabo, who was crouched down on the floor mopping up the puddle of spilled milk there. He must have felt her staring, because he craned his neck up to peer at her. "Um… Thanks, and sorry…"

"Hehe. No problem. It was kinda cute." He also knew that Koala was gonna kick him for that, because he threw up his arms to defend his head before her boot even moved. "Ahaha! I'm sorry, but it was!" he laughed as she prodded the meat of his bicep with her pointed boot. Her leg fell back down as he stood up with a contented exhale, grabbing the towels and tossing them into a bin in the corner. "It's no big deal, really. It certainly livened up my afternoon," he chuckled before looking back at her with a warm smile. Koala flushed, unable to meet his gaze, and looked back down at her lap with quivering lips. Dammit, why was Sabo so attractive to her? All the butterflies in her stomach weren't sitting well with her cake. She was too nauseous to eat more! _Stupid Sabo and his stupid pretty face…_ "Hey, Koala," he said, and despite herself she instinctively looked up at him. She froze at how close his face had come suddenly; he was leaned over her, the tips of their noses only separated by a few inches.

"Wh-what?"

"You're all red. Are you running a fever?"

"No!" she cried and planted her hands over her face to try and hide the gradually reddening hue to her skin.

"Then why's your face all red?"

"Because of you! Stupid! _Stupid attractive Sabo_!" she cried before she could even think about what words were coming out of her mouth. Her mind caught up with her rambling tongue a few seconds later, and as she froze solid with her body burning from head to toe, a cold rush of mortification rippled through her. Her eyes shook behind her fingers. _Did I really just come out and say that? That's it, I have to quit the Army, take a rowboat to a deserted island and live out the rest of my days cakeless and in shame- _

Sabo began laughing. Curiosity got the better of her and she parted her fingers only slightly to peer at him. His shoulders were jumping up and down as he held his belly and shook with raucous laughs.

"What a Koala thing to do, insult me and compliment me in the same sentence," he laughed as a gloved thumb wiped away the little tears that had bloomed in the corners of her eyes. When they fixed back on her, she squeaked and closed the barrier to her vision again. Nope, she wasn't gonna look at him and he wasn't gonna look at her, nope, nope, _nope_-

She whined in protest as he hands fixed themselves around her wrists and easily pulled them away from her face. Her gaze shifted everywhere but on his face. _Oh, this is so embarrassing! What does he think of me now? _"Koala, won't you please look at me?" His voice was so soft and pleading and kind that her eyes couldn't help but obey; slowly, they rolled in her sockets until she was peering nervously into his black irises. His lips set in a thin line as he obviously considered something. His words? Surely, he was trying to figure out a way to let her down gently without upsetting her. Her mind was spiraling so forcefully into panic that she didn't notice his face approaching until his soft lips met hers in a chaste kiss. Her eyes widened and crossed, transfixed by the way the tip of his nose brushed so gently against hers. Her fingers twitched by either side of her head as Sabo's hands still held hers up. It was just a light kiss, nothing worthy of a romance novel, but still… It was so sweet and light that it made happiness bubble up in the pit of Koala's belly. When he pulled back, her eyes followed his and watched in wonder as they alighted with love and joy. "You're too cute," he snickered at her probably dumbfounded expression.

"Erm," she responded eloquently.

"You're welcome," he laughed before dropping her hands and sliding back down into his desk chair. Koala continued to exude her thousand-yard stare on the corner of the desk, until he abruptly grabbed her by the hips to pull her down onto his lap. She was lucky that she didn't send all the contents of the desk flying with the way her arms flailed from the quick sensation of falling; they landed around his broad shoulders, fingers digging into the thin fabric of his white undershirt.

"What are you doing?"

"I have to get back to work but I want more cake, so, feed me~" He grinned. Oh, his look was so innocent but his eyes were practically devilish as they sparkled at her. Koala turned bright pink as she short-circuited for a moment, neurons desperately sparking to connect the wires of her fried brain. When they finally did, she puffed out her cheeks defiantly and grabbed the fork, only to take a good half of his remaining confetti cake and shove it into her mouth.

"I paid for it. 'S mine," she groused through stuffed cheeks. Sabo laughed heartily and picked up his pen to begin scrawling over the paper again.

"I can sit her and look at your sweet little face, too."

"_Sabooooooo_!"

Curse a pretty man with a clever, scheming mind, but thank God for cake.


	62. A Princess and Her Prince

Category: Puppy Love, Childhood Love

Characters: Sabo, Koala

Additional Tags: Modern AU

_Hello, hello! Here's my story for Day Two of Saboala Week, prompt "Disney"! This is different from things I normally write, but when I saw the prompt, this just came to me in a vision, fufufu… I hope you all find the new genre refreshing and cute!_

Koala wrung her hands with knitted eyebrows as her round, dark eyes fixated on a pair of Cinderella Mickey ears hanging on the highest shelf of the booth at which her mother worked. Koala was still only six, much too young to stay at home by herself, and because Koala's father was not a part of the picture, there was much financial strain on the family. Koala's mother could not afford a babysitter, so it was very often that Koala found herself accompanying her mother to her full-time job as a souvenir vendor at the illustrious and whimsical Disney World. And, every single time, Koala found herself guiltily desiring of the pretty pastel blue and ruffled Mickey ears situated on that top shelf.

Of course Cinderella was Koala's favorite princess. A poor girl rising from the ashes to marry a handsome, rich prince? It was the ideal "dream come true" for someone in Koala's position. Her mother always said that she was in no position to meet the park's princess, as her mother could not spare the time to lounge in the long lines for the meet-and-greet, but Koala fantasized that if she donned the ears, the princess would see how much of a big fan she was and seek her out. Gulping, she tottered up on her tip-toes and reached up for the shelf, her fingers just barely brushing the end of one of the headbands. Her mother wouldn't notice…

"Koala!" The little girl jumped at the harsh, scolding voice of her mother; she was busted. Pouty, she fell back onto the flats of her feet and looked at her mom, who was leaning against the counter of the booth and frowning deeply. Timid, Koala put on her best show of puppy-dog eyes and clasped her hands behind her back, little waist slowly turning from side to side.

"I'm sorry… They're just so pretty…"

"I know, honey," the woman sighed as she rubbed the creases in her forehead. It was because she frowned so much. "I wish I could buy them for you, but they're simply so overpriced," she tutted. Koala's lips poked out further in a pout as she hung her head and squared her shoulders in a clear display of disappointment. "You'll grow bored of them after a while, anyway…" she added as a quiet afterthought, probably not even realizing she had spoken it aloud. _No, I won't! _Koala wanted to yell angrily, but she knew that wouldn't do. Her mother looked so sad refusing her, and Koala hated when her mother was sad. She trudged over to hug her mother's leg comfortingly.

"I'm sorry, Mama. Don't be sad." The woman sighed again before slipping her fingers into Koala's fluffy caramel hair to ruffle it appreciatingly.

"How can I not be sad when I have to say no to my little girl? Here, I have a few dollars to spare. Go get yourself an ice cream, at least," she said while pulling some crumpled bills from the pocket of her uniform and handing it to her. Koala gratefully accepted and skipped across the way to purchase the cheapest ice cream, one of the fruit bars, before scampering back to sit down on the concrete in the shade of the booth. She nibbled at it gratefully and pretended for her mother's sake that all was alleviated, but her eyes still snuck longingly back to the pretty ears high above her head, out of reach. Just like many other things in the world so many people seemed to have access to.

Trying to distract herself, Koala set to people-watching. It was a fun thing to do in a place like Disney World. People came from all over to the grand amusement park. Sometimes they spoke in different languages, and Koala always thought it was so amazing that there were so many different kinds of people in the world who communicated differently, but they loved Disney. Sometimes she saw families in matching outfits and would marvel at their creativity, especially if they were obviously made by hand. People were so talented! Of course, sometimes characters would come trouncing down the walkway, smiling and waving. Koala would always wave, hoping to be noticed, but usually the crowd blocked her out. She was tiny, and she had to stay by the booth so she didn't get lost or snatched, her mother said.

Koala snuck another glance at the blue ears. Cinderella came down the way most often, heading to her castle to meet her special guests. She always looked so beautiful, even though she was dressed in her simple clothes and wouldn't put on the ballgown until she got to her palace. Koala thought it was nice that she still dressed that way, like she hadn't forgotten her roots. Cinderella really was a nice princess. That's why her ears were most popular in this stretch of the park; mother had a terrible time of keeping them in stock and always had to radio for more. At this very moment, there was currently only one ear hanging on the shelf. It would be at least four hours until they got more, they said, because they had sold so many that week. It could be Koala's, if her mother had the money, but she didn't. So it was going to be somebody else's instead. Probably someone who loved Cinderella, sure, but not as much as Koala. They probably wouldn't treasure them as much as Koala. The ice cream melted across her hand as she stared pitifully up at them.

"These ones?" someone asked and plucked the ears off the shelf. It was an adult, who was now holding them out to their child- a little boy.

"Yep, yep!" he grinned widely, showing off a missing tooth. Koala stared dumbly at him. He was obviously from a more well-off family with the way he was dressed, in a pair of corduroy shorts and a vest over a short-sleeve white button up. His personality didn't seem to match, though; his blonde hair was wild and unkempt and he had bandages on his knees, elbows, and face to cover up scratches. There were a few patches of dirt here and there with some grass sprigs, too, like he had been rooting around in the plant assortments. He certainly didn't seem like a little boy who would be into princesses, but who was Koala to judge? Holding the ears, the little boy scampered over to the register holding a wad of cash, while Koala watched in jealous rapture. There went her ears.

"Thank you very much," her mother said as she returned his change. She glanced out of the corners of her eyes in Koala's direction, she noticed. Koala quickly steeled her expression and went back to ravenously eating her half-melted juice bar, trying not to seem disappointed. She looked up when a shadow fell over her, just in time for the little boy to push the Cinderella ears down onto her head.

"There ya go!" he grinned brightly. Koala's cheeks flushed as she felt the thick band pushing against her scalp. Was she dreaming? "You've been lookin' at those ears for a while now, so I thought you might want 'em," he explained with a proud snicker, rubbing the end of his nose haughtily. Tears prickling at the corners of her eyes, Koala used her non-fruit-juice-covered hand to reach up and squeeze one of the plush ears. It felt real. She fingered the lacy part styled in the rendition of her poofy dress. She could faintly hear her mother crying and thanking the little boy's mother profusely. _They're really… Mine… _"Is Cinderella your favorite princess?"

"Mhmm," she whimpered as she began to cry.

"Eh? What's the matter? Are they too tight?" he asked and began to flutter around her nervously.

"No… I just… I'm happy…" she sniffed, dropping the remnants of her juice bar to begin rubbing at her face. She blinked at the strange sticky sensation that appeared on her cheeks as she smeared the juice across it. "Oops…"

"Hehe. You're a cute girl! I like you!" the boy declared and produced a handkerchief to begin wiping at her face. "My name's Sabo. What's yours?"

"Koala."

"Wanna be friends, Koala?"

"Mhmm."

"Great!" He said, grabbing her hand to begin wiping the juice from it, too. "Mother, can we take Koala around the park with us?"

"Honey, we can't just take other people's children-"

"_Pleaaaaase_?" Koala and Sabo both screeched in unison, clasping their hands together and double-KOing the two mothers with the most impressive set of puppy-dog eyes ever conceived. There was no resisting them. Koala's mother was of course a bit nervous leaving her daughter in the hands of a woman she had just met, but agreed to let her go for a few hours. She provided the woman with the number to her pre-paid cell phone just in case they needed to get in contact and of they went, Sabo dragging Koala excitedly by the hand.

Needless to say, it was the best day of Koala's life.

She had always been relegated to that little corner of the park, so Koala never had any idea how simply splendorous it was- and it was only one park of many! Sabo's family had a ton of VIP access and Fast Passes, so they were the first into any show or ride. Koala was in a perpetual state of wonder and rapture as she was carted around the place by the little boy and his mother. She cried, several times, and Sabo was always quick to tell her it was okay to cry when she was happy and that made her feel a lot better about it. For the first time in her life, she was able to eat something other than a juice bar, and the ice cream was so rich and creamy that she felt like she had died and gone to heaven. It took Sabo shaking her shoulder vigorously to get her soul to return to her body. She got a little scared on the first roller coaster they tried, but Sabo coaxed her on by letting her hold his hand; when it shot off, she squeezed it a little too tight and her him yelp in pain, but he smiled through it and soon enough they were laughing with their linked hands waving in the air as the carts shot over the metal tracks. They got to see the Beauty and the Beast show, and she was elated that Sabo knew every word to the songs like she did, and they were still singing them as they skipped out of the arena.

Then, Koala got to meet Cinderella.

She started bawling out of pure joy when Sabo escorted her to the great big castle and told her they had an appointment, but when she got inside, she was suddenly very nervous. All the other little girls were dressed up like her, but Koala only had her ears. She wasn't worthy of meeting such a pretty princess. Sniffling, she grabbed onto the hem of Sabo's vest with shaking hands.

"Sabo… I don't want to anymore…"

"Why not? I thought she was your favorite."

"She is, but… All the other little girls look so pretty and princess-y in their dresses…" she meekly answered. Koala was dressed in a pair of overalls they got from the bargain bin that was covered in patches to seal the holes and a plain baby-blue tee-shirt underneath that was stained with the juice bar she had let drip all over herself that morning. She looked like an urchin compared the them. Sabo blinked at her, then gave her that broad, toothy smile.

"I think you're plenty beautiful, Koala! Girls don't need make-up and dresses to be pretty," he hummed simply. She reeled in the comment, allowing him to tote her along thanks to her rigid grip on his clothes. Koala had never been called beautiful by anyone but her family. Boys called girls "beautiful" when they were in love with them, right? Did that make Sabo her boyfriend? What would her mother say? Well, she supposed she could have a worse boyfriend. Sabo was really nice to her. She liked Sabo. She _loved_ Sabo.

"Oh? Who do we have here?"

Koala jumped and latched onto Sabo at the sing-song beautiful voice that greeted her. She peered over his shoulder to see the princess sitting elegantly at a tea table, smiling radiantly at her. Koala immediately began to cry again. Cinderella looked so regal and beautiful in her ballgown. Once again, she was gripped with the overwhelming urge to flee, but Sabo urged her forward with a grin and a thumbs-up. Timidly, she stepped out from behind him and nervously fisted her overalls.

"M-my name's Koala."

"What a lovely name. Oh, what beautiful ears those are! Come, come, let me see!" the princess gestured for her to approach. Koala stiffly did so, shoulders hunched up to her ears from anxiety.

"They're you… You're my favoritest princess ever…"

"Really? That makes me so happy. Guess what, though? I have a secret. Come here and let me tell you," Cinderella winked and leaned down. Koala shuffled over so the princess could whisper in her ear, "You're _my_ favoritest princess ever." Koala flushed the color of a tomato from head-to-toe, then immediately began bawling from sheer elation. The princess laughed and patted her head reassuringly, while Sabo hurried over to pull Koala into a hug.

"She cries a lot. It's cute, don'tcha think?"

"Very cute. She's lucky to have a friend like you."

"He's my _boyfriend_!" Koala corrected with puffed-out cheeks. Sabo blushed slightly and looked down at her in shock. "You don't wanna be my boyfriend?" she asked balefully at his shocked reaction. She thought they were on the same page.

"No! I wanna be your boyfriend!" he nodded emphatically. All the adults in the room were hiding giggles behind their hands at the two adorable children. Koala stood on her tip-toes to kiss Sabo on the cheek, because that was what girlfriends did, right. The little boy flushed darker and rubbed at the back of his neck, shuffling his feet with a nervous chuckle. Koala held his hand as she continued to smile radiantly. She sure felt like a princess- like Cinderella, in fact. A prince had appeared out of nowhere and now she was a princess! It was just like the story, except with a juice bar instead of glass slippers. Or something like that. She would have to work out all the comparisons later.

Her mother looked very happy and relieved to see her skipping back down the cobblestoned lane with Sabo's hand still in hers.

"Did you have a good time?"

"Yep! I'm a princess, and Sabo is my prince!" she declared with a proud puff of her chest. Sabo nodded in agreement and puffed his out, too. The two older woman laughed and began conversing again, while she and Sabo went to go sit down in the shade. "Hey, will you come back and see me tomorrow?"

"Uh-huh. And the next day, and the next, and every day for forever!" he affirmed. Koala knitted her eyebrows together. She wasn't sure that was right. After all, most people didn't stay in Disney World forever. "We've got lifetime passes. I can come here anytime I want!" he said when he noticed the unsure look on her face. Koala's body sagged in relief. Sabo really was a prince, if he had enough money to get lifetime passes! "Hey, Koala?"

"Hmm?"

"When we get bigger, let's get married!"

"Yeah, in Cinderella's castle! Promise?"

"_Promise_!"

The two were so absorbed in their pure child fantasies that they didn't notice their mothers looking on fondly.

_~Fifteen Years Later~_

"One of these, please." Koala smiled bashfully as Sabo purchased the Cinderella ears and turned around to push them down onto her head. Out of old habit, she reached up to squeeze one of the plush ears with one hand, because the other was holding a fruit bar.

"You remembered…"

"Of course I did. You don't think I would forget anything about the best day of my life, do you?" he smiled. That big, toothy grin of his hadn't changed at all, not in all those years. Koala giggled girlishly as she blushed and squirmed. He had always been honest like that, too, and it never failed to make her all gushy and warm. He didn't even have to really try to flirt to make her all flustered. He really was devious behind that pretty face! As she reeled in his romance-movie-worthy line, she didn't notice him slip a hand into his coat pocket. "Koala?"

"Hmm?"

"I made you a promise that day, too." Koala's lips poked out slightly as she searched her memory. When she finally found it, she was flushing bright pink just as Sabo produced a ring box from his pocket and fell down on one knee. The juice bar fell out of her hand as both hands flew to her heart and she began to cry. "Still such a crybaby," he teased as he cocked his head to the side and laughed. "It's still cute, though."

"Stop teasing me!" she wailed through heavy tears. "Ask the stupid question, will you?" A crowd had gathered around them, whispering excitedly. Everybody loved proposals.

"Do you still wanna get married in Cinderella's castle?" he asked with a warm smile, flipping the box open to reveal a glittering diamond ring. Koala's affirmation was a garbled wail, but he got the picture with the way she threw herself at him to embrace him tightly. Sabo laughed, holding up the box so it didn't get flung away, as she bowled him over onto the concrete. After she had managed to collect her emotions just enough to contain them into repeated sniffles, she sat up and held out her left hand so Sabo could push the ring onto her ring finger. She realized that the diamond was surrounded by gorgeous baby-blue gemstones. "For my Cinderella," he smiled gently when he noticed the way her tearful eyes were fixated on them. "For my _princess_."

"Ungh… Ah… I love you so much," she began to sob again. He laughed again and leaned forward to press a kiss to her forehead, then began wiping at her tear-smeared face with his handkerchief.

_This really is the place where dreams come true, _she thought as she continued to admire the engagement ring while Sabo continued to dote on her, like the prince he was. Shining through the rubble like Cinderella, Koala had felt like a princess with him, every single day- and she knew she would for the rest of her life, too.


	63. A Failure of a Valentine's Day

Category: Mild Romantic Fluff

Characters: Sabo, Koala

Additional Tags: High School AU

_Hey, everyone. Here's today's story for Saboala Week, for the Day Three prompt "School." It seems this event is chock-full of AUs, which is a refreshing twist from the content I put out normally. Also, this went in a completely different direction than I thought it would but I regret nothing. Anyway, enjoy the read!_

Koala's round eyes were narrowed at she peered around the edge of the door to the classroom. Stealthily, she scoped out the scene; most of the students had arrived already and were scattered about in small groups chattering. The air was tinged with excitement and anticipation not normally seen on the average school day. Of course, this was indeed a special occasion that was looked forward to every year, by boys and girls alike; it was the eventful and fateful Saint Valentine's Day. The atmosphere was thrumming with emotion as girls delivered their chocolate full of feeling why boys secretly hoped that they would be on the receiving end this year.

Well, the average boys, at least.

Some guys were just graced with charisma and beauty; Saint Valentine's wasn't as nerve-wracking an event to them, because the sweets were heaped upon them by most of the student body. The most anxiety-ridden part, Koala supposed, was that they had to politely accept without curbing the girls' feelings too hard. In fact, in this sense, it was the girls that faced most of the pressure; it was an insane competition to impress, to make her chocolate stand out the most in feeble hopes of winning attraction from the object of their affections.

This year, Koala found herself in that very unfortunate scenario.

Her eyes locked onto her target. She groaned when she spotted the pile of little pink and white and red ribbon-laced boxes stacked high onto his desk. Some of them were so fancy; Koala's surely would be lost in the crowd. Most of them had probably been delivered anonymously. Those who faced their fears and presented their gifts to him directly would be more worthy of remembrance. That required nerves of steel, however, and Koala wasn't quite sure she possessed those nerves. The crowd was thick enough now that everyone would see her. They would feel sorry for her; with that stack of chocolates, he would only be accepting it out of gentility rather than genuine gratitude. Koala hastily stuffed the box of chocolate bag into her schoolbag and edged into the classroom, unnoticed by the boy she was desperately crushing on but had no courage to face.

Sabo greeted her happily when she walked in. They were best friends, after all. Swallowing her panic, she pushed her bag behind her, as if he could see the box within, and tried her best to pretend that things were normal. If he noticed her anxiety, he never made any mention of it.

The entire school day was a wrestling competition in Koala's head. Now that the morning rush was over, Koala could make more of an impression presenting her chocolate to him personally. Other girls had the same idea, though, and every time Koala worked up the nerve to do so, some bimbo would scamper up and shyly do just that. Sabo, naturally, smiled that toothy grin of his and thanked her jovially. Koala got sick of batting away the beating little hearts that poured off the girls as they scurried away to gab to their friends. At the end of the day though, she pitied them.

Not once did she see him eat any of it.

By the time the final bell rang and school was dismissed, Koala had resigned herself to try again next year. Usually Sabo walked her to the train station, but she had made up some excuse about club activities and dashed off so she could sulk in peace. After most of the student body had deserted, she sat on a bench just a few paces from the entrance, staring forlornly down at the box in her hands. It had become bent and ragged from a day in her bag, and the chocolate was now a melted lump with white streaks of icing swirled within. No boy in their right mind would find it appetizing.

"Koala!" She jumped violently when she heard him calling for her. In a panic, she shoved the box down into her cleavage just as he came rounding the corner. "That didn't take long. I thought your club stuff would last longer," he laughed good-naturedly as he approached the bench. Koala faked a smile and rubbed at the back of her head in a nervous gesture.

"Yeah, hehe, it didn't take as long as they predicted it would," she lied lamely.

"Great! I can walk you to the station then, yeah?"

_No, please don't, _she thought, feeling the box shift between her cleavage. For once, she wished for a smaller chest. Being crammed on a subway with a box stuffed between her boobs? Talk about uncomfortable. Just as she was thinking it, Sabo's eyebrows knitted together and his eyes dropped right to her chest. _Wait, what the hell?! _Sabo turned pink and looked away, coughing. "Uh, Koala… You've got a stain on your shirt…"

"What?!" she cried and looked down. Sure enough, brown chocolate was spreading its way across her bust. That would be hellacious to get out. Unabashed due to her panic, she popped the buttons open to remove the squished box from within. The chocolate had apparently begun to melt from her body heat and was now leaking out of the cracks in the flimsy box. "Aw, man," she pouted as she held it out a great distance so the thick brown liquid could drip down onto the sidewalk. She was completely oblivious to the fact that her bra was on full display for Sabo to see, because she was too upset at her utter failure of a Valentine's Day. _This sucks, _she thought with tears prickling the corners of her eyes.

"Um… Is that… Chocolate?" At his hesitant inquiry, Koala flushed and looked down at her lap in mortification. "Who… Were you going to give it to?" Her shoulders tensed a little at the scared tone in his voice. Could he possibly be afraid that she was going to give it to someone else? She peered up at him through her thick eyelashes. He was staring intensely at the crumpled box, eyes following every gloop of chocolate as it seeped out and splashed down onto the sidewalk below. Koala decided to test the waters. Maybe it wasn't a failure after all.

"… I was going to give it to you," she revealed quietly. Her heart like to jumped out of her chest at the excitement that passed over his face. He quickly reigned in his emotions, however, and returned that complicated look to his face. He coughed uncomfortably again.

"So… Why was it in your bra?" He said the word slowly, like he was forcing it out. It made Koala giggle a little. He was so shy.

"Well, I kind of psyched myself out of giving it to you…" He stared at her for a moment.

"Why? We're best friends." Koala's body went rigid at the statement and her arm fell a little from the tremor that gripped her. She didn't say anything, but there was no way that Sabo could miss the few tears that fell off her downturned cheeks. Her gaze was fixed on him through her eyelashes, though, and she watched as his mouth slowly fell agape as the realization that it was not simply "best friend chocolate" dawned on him. He looked at the box, then at her, and at the box again. Then, before she could say or do anything, his hands snatched out to take it from her.

"Wh-wha-?" she cried in surprise, her head snapping up. Sabo flipped the box open almost casually and he swiped up some of the goopy liquid on the tip of his index finger and shoved it in his mouth. He rolled his tongue around it with a thoughtful expression, then popped his finger out of his mouth and looked at her with a scarily blank expression.

"It's good."

"You just ate chocolate that was in my _boobs_!"

"It's pretty damn good for boob chocolate, then." Koala squealed in mortification and covered her face. How could he say something like that so casually?! She peered through her fingers at him when he began laughing, and sure enough, he stuck another gob of the chocolate on his tongue. _Oh my God, he's really eating it… _She thought maybe that it was just out of pity, but he really did look like he was enjoying it. "Hey, by the way, your blouse is still open."

"Eeeek! Oh my God!" she wailed and covered her chest with her hands. She didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She felt like she was in some cheesy rom-com anime. She couldn't exactly close her shirt, because there was still plenty of chocolate in her cleavage, and she didn't want to stain her shirt further, but like hell she was going to give Sabo a show by cleaning it off. There was no un-sexy way to do that. Oh, God, what if he made some crude joke-

"So, you want me to get that for you or what?"

"Sabo, what the _fuck_?!" she shrieked and shimmied down the bench to put as much distance as she could between them. Tomato-faced and scandalized, she looked at him wildly to see a stupid grin plastered on his face. "Don't joke like that!" she said as she fell onto her side on the bench and sobbed. Her heart was pounding in her ribcage. Was this what a heart attack felt like?

"Sorry. Can't help it. You're so cute when you blush," he shrugged as he licked more chocolate off his finger. It was a totally off-handed compliment, almost too casual, but Koala still flushed red from head-to-toe. Her temperature was probably in critical range at this point. Groaning loudly, she melted against the bench. She was chocolate now. Snickering, Sabo took a few steps closer to crouch down in front of her. She immediately hid her face with both her hands.

"I hate Valentine's Day."

"Aw, don't say that. I took your boob chocolate, didn't I?"

"_Please_ don't call it that!" she begged, parting her middle and third fingers of one hand to glare at him with dark round eyes. He had that stupid grin on his face again. Asshole. She then sighed miserably into her palms. "Besides, you just did that because we're friends."

"Um, Koala, do you really think that 'just a friend' would eat chocolate that melted in your cleavage? I mean, that's a little weird, don't you think?"

"You _are_ weird!"

"Jesus, go for my throat, why don't you?" he laughed and grasped his heart like he was wounded, even hanging his head in mock misery. He cocked his head to the side as he smiled warmly at her. "Koala, you know why I didn't eat any of the chocolate I got from all those girls?" She shook her head. Sabo loved sweets; it was a fact. She was actually kind of surprised he didn't smash on them immediately. "It was because I was hoping you would give me chocolate today." Behind her hands, her eyes widened such that her pupils were swimming in a sea of white. He tilted his head back with an exaggerated sigh. "I was so depressed because I thought my love was unrequited~" he trilled dramatically in a manner even the embarrassed Koala had to laugh at. He dropped his head back down to flash a bright smile at her. "I got it in the end, though, so all's well that ends well, I s'pose."

"Do you mean it?" she asked meekly. Sabo was a really nice guy. He would totally go to such lengths to make her feel better.

"'Course I do." Koala's tense body relaxed under his tender gaze. There was no lie in the way he was looking at her. Slowly, her hands fell from her still flushed face. "Can't wait until White Day. You can lick chocolate off _my_ boobs~" he grinned stupidly. Koala screamed and pushed him by his shoulders, making him fall down on his rump as he laughed hysterically.

"I hate you! I'm going home!" she shouted at him as she jumped off the bench and began stalking down the sidewalk.

"With your shirt still open?" he called after her.

"Shut up!" she screamed and angrily buttoned her shirt back up, chocolate or no chocolate. She heard Sabo's sneakers scraping against the concrete as he scrambled to run after her.

"Koala! Come on! I was joking!" he laughed as he ran to catch up with her. She kept her shoulders hunched up and refused to look at him as she kept stomping down the street. "fine! I won't joke about it anymore! Please?" His pleading was invalidated by the continuous stream of chuckles leaving his mouth. Koala puffed out her cheeks in a clear pout, but acknowledged him by stiffly grabbing his hand to hold. It was like she always imagined it- big and warm and embracing. Too bad it was attached to his stupid arm that was attached to his stupid body that his stupid head with his _stupid face_ was attached to. God, she wanted to smack that dumb grin of it, but why was it also maddeningly sexy. "Koala~" he chimed. The light tone of his voice practically made her answer him.

"What?"

"Thanks," he said and leaned down to peck her lightly on the cheek. She flushed and squeezed his hand on reflex, short-circuiting. Her other hand flew to her cheek, feeling it burn against the skin of her palm and fingers. "Hehehe. That was fun, but next year, can I just get normal chocolate?"

"Sure. _I'll leave it at your grave!_"

Yeah, needless to say, she never lived that one down.


	64. A Reason to Stay

Category: Romantic Fluff

Characters: Sabo, Koala

Additional Tags: Medieval AU

_Hi guys! Here's my story for Day Four of Saboala Week, prompt "Fantasy." Hope we're all having a good day; if not, here's some fluffy cuteness to make it better! :D_

Koala hummed contentedly under her breath as she fluttered the feather duster over the ornate vase situated on the end table next to the guest bed that she had just outfitted with clean sheets. After she had removed every speck of dust from the glass sculpture, she replaced the wilted, dry batch of wildflowers with a fresh set just cut from the garden, tossing the decaying ones in the wicker basket at her feet. Nothing went to waste with Koala; the dry flower petals still could be of use in the making of perfumes and such. With a small sigh, she wiped the sweat from her brow. _Only twenty more guest bedrooms to go, _she thought wryly, but not with much frustration. It was hard work, but Koala did it willingly and proudly. _After all, _she thought as she walked over to the window to gaze down at the splendorous castle garden stretching out to the alabaster walls beyond, _you have plenty of reason to stay. _

Koala was a housemaid in the employment of one Duke Sabo. She had been working for him over a year now, since she was sixteen. The man of the house himself was young, only having just turned sixteen himself. Very young to be running a manor and business by himself, but his father had died an untimely death, and all the responsibilities had fallen upon his shoulders. He managed them well… For the most part.

Koala jumped with a slight shriek as the door to the bedroom suddenly burst open and then slammed shut. Before she could turn around, someone was behind her, clamping a hand over her mouth. Reacting on instinct, she slammed the heel of her foot down on her assaulter's toes and elbowed him harshly in the ribs, causing him to recoil; scowling angrily, she whipped around and began whacking them over the head with the feather duster.

"Take that, and that, and _that_!"

"Ow! Stop! Koala! It's me!" Sabo wailed as he ducked down and covered his head, laughing as he shielded himself from the rain of dust from the feathery tool. Koala blinked and immediately retracted the device.

"My Lord, what are you doing, barging in here like this? You scared me half to death!" Once more, he jumped up to clamp a hand down over her mouth.

"Shh!" he demanded with a fervent look at the locked bedroom door. "I don't want them to find me." She inquired who, though her inquiry was muffled by his gloved fingers covering her mouth. "My damn uncles," he whined with an exhausted expression. "They're here pestering me about finding a wife again. They even went so far as to plan a banquet tonight and invited all these people to show off their daughters! Hide me, Koala!" he begged and shimmied behind her, crouched down and holding onto her lower thighs. It was a good thing that Sabo didn't require those silly French maid outfits that were all the rage, because he would've gotten a great shot up her skirt. Whimpering, he peered around her legs at the door. It wasn't like her petite frame could shield his muscular one anyway, and she was mighty flustered with the impropriety of what was happening.

"My Lord, this is inappropriate!" she scolded and whapped him over the head with the feather duster again. He poked his lips out at her in a pout and squeezed the plush flesh of her legs a little.

"Come on, Koala, you know I'm not like that. I just don't want to marry a random stranger," he pouted pitifully. It took another couple of whacks for him to finally pry himself off her, only for him to shamble over to the bed she had just made and plop himself face-first onto it. "… Sheets smell good. Lavender?"

"I just made that bed!" Koala wailed in dismay and kicked him in the butt. "Get off it! Now!"

"I own it! I can do what I want with it!" he protested back and buried the upper half of his body amongst the feather pillows, sending them into disarray. Koala groaned and rolled her eyes at her complete embarrassment of a lord. It was no wonder the adults in his life were trying to land him a wife; such behavior was completely unbecoming of a noble. Yet… His nonchalance and playfulness never ceased to put a smile on Koala's face. It was a welcome deviation from the harsh and rigid decorum of the other nobles Koala had met in her life. The thought triggered the back of her shoulder to burn, and somehow Sabo saw the way she winced and grabbed at it through the pile of pillows. "… Does your scar burn again? You've been working yourself too hard."

"It's not that. I just thought of something unpleasant," she reassured him as she pawed at the stinging flesh. The pillows fell down to the floor as Sabo sat up amongst them, his blonde hair sticking up in odd places as he eyed her owlishly. Indeed, he was very different. With her previous lord- her master, more accurately- she would have been backhanded something fierce for the banter that had been going on between herself and Sabo. She grimaced as the brand scar on her shoulder began to throb uncomfortably. Why was she thinking about such things now and causing herself undue pain? She never had to fear being owned again.

Still, her mind had already begun its plummet over the cliff. Her legs wobbled as the strength suddenly left her body in one rapid flush. As her body teetered, she staggered forward and knocked into the bedside table, making the vase of flowers whirl precariously.

"Ah! Koala, please sit down," Sabo cried and lunged forward to catch her by the shoulders. Koala was panting as he eased her down onto the edge of the bed. The tremors that wracked her body made the frame creak and tremble. With a high-pitched whine, one of her hands twisted into the fabric at the front of her dress while the other continuously dug into the area over her burning shoulder. Desperately, she tried to push down the horrifying images that were threatening to surface in her panicked mind- a burning piece of iron, rattling chains around the raw skin of her wrists, her own red blood splattered across a dirty floor. With her imagination running so rampant, she could even smell the putrid stench of her own burning flesh and hear her own screeching wails. Tears prickling at the corners of her wide eyes, she slumped back, into Sabo's warm and soft arms. "Don't worry, Koala," he whispered soothingly in her ear as he hugged her gently. "No one will ever be able to hurt you again. You're free, remember?"

"F-free," she stammered with hot, uneven breaths. That's right. Sabo saved her. He rescued her from that awful place. That place, that time, that person, was just a memory. A faraway, terrible, awful one, but a memory nonetheless. Slowly, Koala's breaths began to grow more even and full.

"That's right," he smiled gently, leaning his head against hers as he pushed her shaking hand aside to begin rubbing soothing circles into the burn mark hidden beneath her clothes. "No one owns you, Koala." _No one… owns me… _she thought hazily, eyes fluttering as the dark visions began to fade away. As she was coming down from her panic attack, she felt Sabo sigh against her and push his face slightly into her caramel hair. "… Koala?"

"Hmm?"

"Why do you stay here?" Her eyes widened at the question. "I mean, when you asked to work for me, I only agreed so you would have a place to stay while you got back on your feet, but… It's been a year now. Nothing holds you here. You can go and do anything you want, you know. I would hate to see you waste away here, putting any dreams of yours on hold, simply because you feel obligated." Her body twitched as she felt him frown deeply against her scalp. There was no question that he meant every word that he was uttering. "I know this work of yours reminds you of that bastard," he growled, unintentionally squeezing her in his rising ire. "These fits of yours… I know you have them often."

Koala hung her head at the accusation. It was true, of course. It wasn't uncommon that she awoke screaming in the middle of the night and the other in-house maids had to calm her down from her night terrors. This wasn't the first time she had suffered a panic attack in the middle of the day, too; several times, one of her co-workers found her huddled in a corner, crying and begging for mercy to phantoms they could not see. She winced as her scar began to ache again, and before she could dissolve into another fit, Sabo bundled her further into his embrace. She was practically sitting in his lap now. If anyone happened upon them, it would surely be the scandal of the decade. Koala didn't care much, though. Sabo always made her feel so safe… secure… appreciated. She reached up with one of her hands to timidly wrap a few of her fingers around one of his.

"I have no dreams," she whispered. "They were all taken from me. I cannot even remember what they were." She turned her face to look up at his concerned one. Was she really about to say what she was about to say? It wasn't just improper; it was downright outrageous. Even with Sabo being who he was, she had no idea how he would react. If anyone else heard about it, surely she would be reprimanded. Still, Koala didn't care. She had been standing on the sidelines harboring her secret feelings for so long, and now, with his arms wrapped around her and his face so close and his expression so caring, she threw caution and rules to the window. "If I have a dream now, it's _you_," she breathed.

There. Her words were in open air now. She didn't know whether to be relieved or stressed. Of course she loved him. He was her savior, and continued to be every single day. No one had treated her with such humanity before. He was incredible in every sense of the word; even though she was lower than him in class, he still treated her with such respect and grace. She felt special. Even if it was all an illusion, even if it meant nothing to him, it meant something to Koala- and she felt she at least owed him the truth, after all he had done for her. She bit down on her bottom lip as she awaited his reaction. His face was terrifyingly blank. "M-my Lord…?"

"Sabo," he interjected suddenly, forcefully. She jumped in his arms at the harshness in his tone. Suddenly, his face relaxed into a warm smile, and he placed a hand on her cheek. "Call me Sabo, my dear Koala." Her lips pressed together into a thin line as her heart swelled up in her chest. His thumb was stroking soft lines over her cheekbone as he tilted his head to look at her thoughtfully. It was then that she realized what they were doing was very, very wrong.

"M-my Lo-"

"What did I just say?"

"Sabo," she choked out. The name felt foreign and immoral on her tongue. "Wh-what about all your suitors…? Surely, your uncles will demand you choose one…"

"I have already." It took a moment for the words to process in her brain. When they clicked, she flushed tomato-red and squeaked in shock.

"But, but, but-! I am but a mere maid! The scandal! The outcry! They'll make a mockery of you!" she cried, wriggling around as she fretted. Sabo laughed jovially, keeping her within his embrace as she squirmed and writhed.

"I don't care! Let them make a fool of me," he purred, and she stiffened as he pushed down the sleeve of her dress to reveal the top half of the burn mark scarring her back and pressed a light kiss to the marred skin. "I'll be a fool in love," he whispered against it. Koala felt shivers radiate out from where his lips moved, spreading a warm, tingling feeling through her body. Nervous yet aroused, she looked over her shoulder where his dark eyes were glittering up at her through his wavy blonde locks. "Why do you think I have been so adamant not to get married all this time?" he laughed dryly. Her skin crawled in an oddly pleasurable way as he began a burning trail of open-mouthed kisses up her shoulder and over her neck. When he arrived at her ear, he breathily whispered into it, "I've been a fool for you for _quite_ some time, Koala."

"S-Sabo," she groaned as her hands nervously fisted the sheets on either side of her.

"You have always amazed me," he crooned as he ran feather-light fingers up and down her sides. "I mean, an average girl wouldn't beat me over the head with a feather duster," he rumbled with laughter, bringing a blush to her cheeks. She wasn't sure if that was a compliment or a joke at her expense. His lips were moving over her cheeks now, hand turning her face to angle it toward him. She gave him no resistance. His dark eyes were shining as they burned down into hers. "Do you love me, Koala? Truly?" he asked against the corner of her lips.

"Yes," she answered immediately in a husky breath laced with desire and need. "Sabo, I love you with all my heart." Her voice cracked with the sheer amount of emotion welling up inside her. Was it possible to love someone so much that it hurt? All the feeling she had been suppressing for fear of rebuke came bursting through the dam, brining tears to her eyes. As they spilled down her cheeks, Sabo whispered soothing words and gently kissed them away before he looked down at her endearingly. "Kiss me, Sabo."

And he did.

Koala's eyes fell shut as his lips descended over her own, soft and warm. A soft sigh left her as they moved against hers in a harmonious dance. Koala had never kissed a man before, but had heard the older women talk about it; all their stories could never had prepared her for how simply breathtaking it was. She had to ground herself by gripping his shoulders because she felt like she was slipping away, falling into nothingness. Actually, that's because she _was_ falling back; Sabo had turned her body to push her gently down onto the bed, crawling on top of her as he kissed her with fervor. The bouncy mattress dipped as his knees pushed into the soft material on either side of her hips. Her hands migrated up his neck to push into his wavy blonde hair, and it felt like she always imagined it would; soft like silk, so smooth as she teased the strands around her fingers. As his lips continued to move against hers, Koala lazily thought that if she died right then, she would die happy.

Her eyes cracked open as she felt him retreat. Her arms still hung loosely around his neck as he hovered over her, stroking through her hair repeatedly while he propped himself up with an elbow. "What with the smirk?" she asked at the almost shit-eating grin that was on his face.

"I was just thinking about the looks on my uncles' faces when I tell them I'm in love with a maid~" he chirped almost too devilishly. Koala flushed pink and slapped a hand over her face with a groan.

"You're too troublesome for me! I quit!"

"No! Don't quit!" he whined miserably and flopped down on top of her to pin her to the bed. She gasped as all the breath was forced out of her lungs. "Now you can't go anywhere!"

"You're so heavy… I'm gonna tell the cook to feed you less…" she groaned as she tried in vain to push him off her.

"You're so mean," he pouted up at her, then smiled and kissed the end of her chin. "Seriously, though, Koala. You'll stay with me forever, right?" Koala blinked down at him, then smiled sweetly.

"Of course. I have plenty of reason to stay, after all."


	65. Just Pretend

Category: Romantic Fluff

Characters: Sabo, Koala

_Greetings, all! Here's my story for Day Five of Saboala Week, for the prompt "Traditional Outfit." Enjoy!_

Koala's lips were pursed with displeasure as she stared out of the hotel window down at the street below. It was humming with traffic as small crowds jovially meandered towards the center of town, from where tinny carnival music was drifting. It was later in the evening, allowing the bright and round fairy lights that were strung from light poles and building balconies to glow softly like little suns suspended on strings. Groaning miserably, she propped her chin on her crossed arms, watching as yukata-clad men and women joyfully rushed to partake in the festivities of the seasonal celebration that was happening. The town had a heavy Marine presence due to the magnitude of the tourism happening at the moment, and so, as a member of the Revolutionary Army, Koala and the rest of her cohort were of course stuck inside.

"This bites!" she cried angrily and slammed her fists down on the windowsill. "I wanna wear a pretty yukata and go eat candied apples!" she wailed with tears streaming down her cheeks as she turned to pout at Sabo, who was sitting at the desk of her room working on something, for once. His room adjoined hers, and to stave off the boredom of confinement, he was currently in her room watching her miserably sulk. He turned around in the desk chair, crossing his arms behind his head as he smiled sympathetically at her.

"If Dragon catches us sneaking out, we'll be in for it for sure. Especially if we get caught."

"Since when has that ever stopped you?"

"Good point. Shall we?" Normally, Koala didn't entertain Sabo's rebellious tendencies of sneaking off and doing as he pleased, but it was so mind-numbingly boring in the hotel room that she just had to instigate. As he hopped up from the chair, Koala threw the window open to jump out of the window down to the cobblestone street below, startling a few passersby. Sabo landed lightly behind her and fixed his ruffled coat before pulling the brim of his hat down over his face. "First, yukatas. We can't be going around sticking out like this."

Thankfully, the stores weren't sold out yet, and they were able to purchase a pair of appropriate garments. Sabo chose one of dark indigo with a black sash, simple and plain to keep from arousing suspicion. Koala was a bit more festive, however; hers was a summery yellow that brought out the natural gold highlights in her hair, with an orange sash that complimented the rest. The fabric was patterned with orange and red outlines of flowers that gave the arrangement a summery flair. Sabo looked at her in approval as she twirled happily in front of the body-length mirror. "It suits you."

"Oh~? You sound as if we're on a _date_~" she teased as she sidled up to him, eyelashes flashing demurely as she snuggled up into his side. His cheeks became dusted with a haze of pink and he looked away with an airy laugh, tugging at one of his bright blonde strands of hair.

"You're in an awfully good mood…" A good mood equaled much teasing, unfortunately for Sabo; she was in the highest of moods now that they had managed to escape the hum-drum of being confined to the hotel, so poor Sabo was in for it. Koala was still prancing along beside him after they paid for their clothes and walked back out of the shop.

"Come on, Sabo, humor a girl, will ya?" she said with pouty lips and puffed-out cheeks. He gave her a look of mixed amusement and derision. "It'll be good for blending in, too! The Marines won't think twice about a cute couple wandering around a festival~" she trilled as she hugged his arm and fluttered her eyelashes up at him again. Sabo rolled his eyes but relented, offering his arm to her. Koala purred and wrapped her dainty hands around the solid muscle of his bicep, which she gave a squeeze and stuck out her tongue at him playfully. "Ooh, my, Sabo, have you been working out~?"

"Oh, yes. I have to look my best for you, _dear_," he laughed with a toss of his head, deciding to play along. Koala cooed and nestled her head into the crook of his shoulder, playing the perfect part of a girl head-over-heels in love. It was all in jest, naturally; they could never compromise their work relationship with personal matters. It was all just pretend. As she pressed close to his body, she was suddenly hyper-aware of the way his muscles rippled underneath the thick fabric. _Just pretend, _she reminded herself with a gulp.

Boy, she was already paying the price for breaking the rule and Dragon had nothing at all to do with it. Karma was a _conniving_ bitch.

The fairy lights guided their way to an open marketplace, which had been converted to a collection of specialized vendors and games for the evening. At the center was a bubbling fountain decorated with blooming lilies; the big green pads slowly turned in the rippling water, making the white flowers spin slowly as if they were dancing. A band was playing a happy beat in a corner, and many a people were gathered around the fountain- laughing children enjoying games like marbles and tag, young ladies chatting amiably to each other, and of course, young couples huddling closed together as they basked in the ambiance of the little festival. Koala felt her heart lurch as she saw a man lean down to kiss his suitor on the cheek, watching the way her face lit up with an elated smile. She peeked out of the corners of her eyes at Sabo. He was looking everywhere else, it seemed, either ignorant of or completely ignoring the implications of Koala hanging off his arm. _Just pretend…_

"You said you wanted candy apples, right?" he said suddenly. She gasped as he grabbed her by the wrist and tugged her over to a red booth that was selling the confection. "I'll take two please!" he told the vendor and handed over the money, thanking him as he took the two candied apples. "Here!" he said with his mouth already full of the glistening sugar, holding out the other to Koala. She flushed lightly as she took it from him.

"I could have paid for it."

"It's a date's job to buy his partner food, right?" he responded as he chomped down again on the succulent sugar-covered fruit. _He didn't think anything of it, _she thought, unsure what that meant. _He's just going along with the act_, she reminded herself as she bit down into the solidified red sugar that covered the apple.

Koala did her best not to focus on the way her little teasing was slowly backfiring on her as she ate her candy apple and explored the rest of the festival. Thankfully, there was enough going on to thoroughly distract her- games and contests and plenty of local food. By the time she was nibbling the core off the little stick, she was smiling happily and tugging Sabo around the various attractions of the festival. It was small, but still filled with plenty of good things to eat and fun things to do, and they easily spent a full two hours partaking in the various activities. Koala was on her third candy apple by the time she plopped down on the rim of the fountain with a content sigh, pausing to give her aching feet a break.

"I didn't realize how long we've been here. My feet kinda hurt!" she laughed before ripping a section of the sugar off the red apple. "Mhmm… So good…"

"You really do love those things, huh?" Sabo chuckled beside her. She nodded vigorously and smiled up at him. He was leaned back on his hands, lounging comfortably as he watched the people walking back and forth enjoying the festival. "I want the whole world to be like this, Koala," he sighed suddenly, expression softening as he watched them. "Everyone smiling, laughing… Not having to worry about anything…" Koala blinked and turned to look at the crowd, crunching on the sugar. Everyone sure did look happy and peaceful. There wasn't a frown or look of worry among them. She bit into the apple, sucking up the juice that leaked out of it before swallowing the succulent fruit. _Yeah, _she thought with a smile, _it would be a pretty nice world, if I could sit here and eat candy apples with Sabo like this without a care in the world. _

Her own subconscious threw her for a loop. She was suddenly painfully reminded that things were not that simple. A frown appeared on her face as her hand dropped into her lap, the half-eaten candy apple dropping the crystalized sugar and leaking juice onto her pretty yukata. _It's all just pretend, _she thought hollowly, staring down at it. Had she really somehow convinced herself that this little outing was more than just a way to kill time for Sabo? "I'm sorry, did I kill the mood?" he laughed awkwardly and rubbed the back of her neck. She shook her head stiffly.

"No, I… just remembered something, that's all," she answered vaguely. "We should get back to the hotel," she said. She knew she should finish the candy apple, but suddenly it looked so unappetizing that it made her nauseous. She spied a barrel serving as a trashcan nearby and rose to go throw it away, but she only made it halfway before Sabo caught her by the wrist. "Hey, what are you-?" she gasped, then blanched as he pulled her hand up to his face so he could take a big bite out of her half-eaten candy apple. She turned bright pink at all the various implications of the action.

"Isn't it the job of a date to finish food a girl can't?" he smirked as he chewed on the sweet. There was some kind of fire in his eyes that made Koala unsure if he was paying her back for her teasing earlier, or actually serious. She could only stand rigid as he kept a firm grip on her hand, finishing off the candy apple bite by bite and keeping his gaze locked on hers all the while. When he finished, he plucked the stick from her hand and tossed it into the barrel, while she just continued to stare owlishly up at him. "That was good," he said nonchalantly as he licked his lips. _Just pretend. _The words were unconvincing as they rang in her chest. "Koala?" he said as he turned back to her. "Are you sad? I thought you didn't want it!" he began to fret. Koala shook her head hurriedly and broke away from him, scurrying back over to the fountain. She needed a minute to breathe.

Lilies floated around her reflection as she stared down into the constantly shifting water. Her face sure did look sad. What the hell was she sad about? Tears prickled at the corners of her eyes. _You're pathetic, Koala. _Despite all her repetitions of this little venture being a pretend thing, she had still managed to twist it into something real and was now sorely disappointed at the outcome. She flinched slightly as she heard soft footsteps behind her and Sabo's reflection appeared over the shoulder of hers. "Koala…?" Her hands curled into fists at her side. Suddenly, his fingers reached up to tease hers away from her palms, intertwining them together before tugging at her arm. She looked down at their linked hands, then slowly up at him, hurt and confused. "Dance with me?" he asked with a sweet smile. Koala was suddenly aware of the slow, soft rhythm of a love song playing in the background and dancing couples around them. A fire alit on her cheeks as she stared at him in bewilderment, but her feet obeyed as he began walking backwards, pulling her away from the fountain into the plaza proper. He pulled on her hand and her arm and body followed, allowing him to snake his other arm around her wrist to hold her close. Their linked hands were now held up in the air.

"Sabo… I don't get it…" she whispered as he coaxed her into a set of small movements, moving their bodies slowly in circles as they danced to the gentle beat.

"Isn't dancing the best way to end a date?" There was a low huskiness to his voice that sent a strangely riveting shiver up Koala's spine. As she grew rigid under his touch and tone, he pulled her a little closer, their chests now pressing together. Her wide, round eyes continued to stare up at him, swimming with confused hope.

"But it's all just pretend," she choked out. Her teeth clenched as she fought back the urge not to cry, partially to keep from looking pathetic and partially out of old habit. "It's just pretend," she repeated, almost wishing it to be true because she was scared of the way he was looking at her, excited but terrified of how everything was changing so quickly. Sabo brought his face close to hers, tip of his nose brushing over the bridge of hers, and she instinctively sighed at the way his hot breath ghosted over her face.

"_I wasn't pretending._"

Koala saw the kiss coming but still couldn't prepare for it. His black eyes were boring into hers as he pressed his lips to hers, insistently but gently. His expression slowly hazed into darkness as her eyes fluttered shut, and she almost groaned at the way her senses heightened. His lips were so soft as they moved against hers, perfectly in time with the pace of him still guiding her slowly around the plaza in the slow dance. The hand that was holding hers guided it up to the back of his neck, where her trembling fingers found purchase, so he could grab her lightly by the chin and angle her head so he could kiss her more deeply. As she parted her lips, silently begging for him to take more, his tongue slipped through to tangle with hers. She could taste the lingering sweetness of the candy apples alongside the intoxicating taste of him, and it had her head swimming like she had just downed an entire jug of sake. As she slumped against him, he stopped moving, focusing solely on kissing her as completely and passionately as he could. By the time he pulled away from her, eyes lidded as he gazed intensely at her, the idea that they were pretending was the furthest thing from Koala's mind.

"Um," was the only thing that she could think of to say. He gave her a lopsided grin. She blushed and looked away shyly, not quite sure how to handle how their relationship had developed so suddenly.

"Still wanna go back to the hotel?" There was a suggestive edge to his voice that had Koala squeaking and burying her face into his chest. His body shook with laughter; he was definitely paying her back for the teasing now.

"No… I wanna stay out a little longer…" His big arms enveloped her in a hug and he dropped a kiss into the top of her hair, and she smiled as she felt him smile against her scalp. He began to rock her back and forth in a little dance again, humming along to the tune of the band. Koala relaxed in his embrace, content to just enjoy the evening with him without a care in the world… and she could do with another candy apple, too.


	66. Baby Fever

Category: General Fluff

Characters: Monkey D. Luffy, Nami, Red-Haired Shanks, Makino

Requested By: deliathedork (Tumblr)

Nami stared critically up at the Jolly Roger flapping in the breeze far above her head. It was an impressively daunting illustration, a laughing skull with bright red paint streaking over the left eye overlaying two red-hilted blades. Rightly so, it would strike fear into the hearts of countless many, being the Jolly Roger of one of the four Emperors of the Grand Line. Any normal pirate would turn tail and flee as quickly as they could; if they were a bit on the reckless side, maybe, they would probably try to engage in a parlay or at least ascertain why such an impressive vessel manned by an even more impressive crew was pulling up on their stern. That's what Nami would have down if she were captain.

However, she was not captain. Luffy was captain. And Luffy was currently vaulting himself over the side of the ship screaming like a man possessed.

"_Shaaaaaaaanks_! What's uuuuuuuuup?!" The tangerine-haired navigator watched with a wearied expression as her captain, stretchy limbs and straw hat and all, all but invaded the deck of the neighboring ship to disappearing behind the balustrade. She knew that Red-Haired Shanks was an acquaintance of his and very likely meant no harm, but considering they were openly challenging Emperors left and right these days, Shanks might have just gotten a little tipsy and decided to come test Luffy's mettle. Based on the chorus of excited cheers and laughter that were drifting down from the deck of the comparably taller ship, Nami doubted this was the case. However, she and Robin shared the only brain cells of the ship, and she maintained them by being _cautious_.

"Luffy! How many times do I have to tell you not to rush into things? Oh, good grief, why am I bothering? He isn't listening," she grumbled while crossing her arms. Franky and Usopp installed the gangplank so they could cross the thin stream of waves separating the two vessels, and considering how easily the rest of them strolled on over like they had known the Red-Haired Pirates all their lives, she supposed her concern was unwarranted. Still, one of these days, those imbeciles were going to give her a heart attack.

Nami crossed the gangplank to see that Luffy was hugging the one-armed, red-haired man tightly, with his stretchy arms wound several times around him as he nuzzled his cheek into his upper forearm.

"Shanks! Dude! I have so much to tell you! I've kicked soooooo many asses, you wouldn't believe it! Hey, hey, lemma introduce my crew to you, yeah? Have you seen our bounties? Aren't they awesome?" he was gabbing incessantly as Shanks looked on with a mix between a fatherly smile and an overwhelmed laugh. Nami pushed through the crowd of pirates to stomp right over to her captain and start tugging on the back of his red vest.

"Luffy! What are you, ten? Behave with some dignity, why don't you?" she scolded hotly as she stretched the fabric up and down. Luffy immediately began to pout and stuck out his tongue at her. "Excuse me?" He winced at her thunderous stare, then his body drooped like a scolded puppy's. Muttering under his breath, he unwound his arms from around Shanks and obediently released him so that Nami could deposit him a respectable distance away. "That's more like it."

"Wow, Luffy, your girlfriend sure is a firecracker," the man laughed good-naturedly. Nami's cheeks flushed pink and she held up her hands in a gesture of rebuttal.

"What? No! I'm just his navigator!"

"That's right! How dare you disrespect Nami-swan like that! Come here! I'll kick your ass even if you are an Emperor!" Sanji shouted and approached Shanks with a cigarette clenched in his teeth, rolling up his sleeves even though he was going to very obviously kick him. All it took was Nami batting her eyelashes and crooning a calming remark for Sanji to melt on the spot and cease his affront. Shanks eyed the puddle of Sanji wiggling on the deck of his ship.

"What a frightening young woman you are."

"Yeah, Nami's scary, isn't she?" Luffy said as he propped his chin on her shoulder. She huffed and tilted his straw hat such that it was not bumping into her head, but allowed him to stoop over to perch on her shoulder. She was quite used to his complete lack of personal space. "Anyway, Shanks, what're you doing in this neck of the woods? Don't you got important Emperor stuff to do?"

"It just so happened that we crossed paths. I spotted your Jolly Roger. Really, I was just going to sail on by, but Makino insisted~" he trilled with a bellowing laugh. Nami gasped as Luffy's eyes nearly bugged out of his head and he clamped his hands down on her shoulders, head wildly swiveling around just above hers.

"Makino?! What's she doing here? Hey, Makino, _hellooooooo_?!"

"Stop _shouting_! You're gonna make me go deaf!" she screamed at him with a harmless but emphatic bonk to the side of his head. Though it didn't even leave a mark, he gave her the poutiest look her could while rubbing his temple where she had whapped him.

"Why do you get to shout and I don't?"

"Heehee," came a girlish giggle from the crowd. "You haven't changed at all, Luffy." Nami and Luffy both turned as a beautiful young woman holding a swaddled infant pushed through to stand beside the much broader and taller red-haired man. Again, Luffy's eyes bugged out of his head as he beheld the small child. Rather than going to inspect himself, as he was apparently very comfortable with now propping his chin on the top of Nami's head, he shoved her forward to her feet were forced to clumsily carry her over to the woman and her baby.

"Whoa! Makino, when did you have a baby? Who's baby is it, anyway? Oh my God, are you a pirate now? Did you steal it?" he accused with a horrified gasp. Makino laughed at his ridiculous notion, while Nami scowled in embarrassment at her captain's simply insurmountable stupidity.

"Luffy, you moron. _I'm_ the father!" Shanks huffed, shaking his head with closed eyes as he rested his one hand on his hip. Nami was counting down the seconds to when Luffy's eyes popped out of his head for good; he made some noise reminiscent of a spit-take as he stared incredulously at Shanks.

"When the hell did _that_ happen?" he cried as he looked between the pirate and the young mother ridiculously fast. If his spine had not been made of rubber, his neck would have snapped from the force of him swiveling. His chin was creating enough static friction against her scalp to start a fire, so she clapped her hands onto his cheeks to fix his head into place, gaze on the wee infant peering up at him curiously. "I'm so confused," he said in a nasally whine, but curiously reached up to poke the baby in the cheek. "It's _squishy_."

"Don't antagonize it," Nami tutted as the infant squeaked in clear irritation.

"Would you like to hold him, Luffy?"

"Ooooooh!" he squealed and reached over Nami's shoulders with grabby hands. "Gimme! Gimme!"

"Absolutely not. You have no idea how to properly hold a baby," Nami refused and took the baby from Makino as she held it out. Luffy's shoulders slumped up to his ears as he frowned grumpily at her when she turned around, cradling the baby carefully. "Oh, don't pout, you'll get to hold him in a second," she huffed. The rest of the Straw Hats were very curious about Makino's little charge and crowded around, ogling in wonder.

"He certainly is a cute little baby," Robin smiled serenely and stuck out her index finger, her eyes brightening as he grasped it with his wee little hand. Chopper was jumping up and down begging to see, so Zoro lifted him up by his scruff to deposit him on his broad shoulder. The baby bubbled and cooed at the reindeer, making him blush and laugh.

"Aw, you're not cute at all, you little bastard~ 3" he squealed with very obvious delight as he wriggled gleefully on Zoro's shoulder. The swordsman in question had his arms crossed as he gazed critically down at the baby.

"So, what can it do?"

"Moss-head, you absolute moron! It's a baby!"

"Yeah, so? You can teach babies tricks, right?"

"Dear God, I hope you _never_ procreate." Sanji scowled as he put his cigarette out with the bottom of his dress shoe so as not to make the baby ill with the toxic fumes. They began quipping back and forth, and next thing Nami knew they were a few yards away scrapping with each other while the Red-Haired Pirates were yelling bets. _Imbeciles, _Nami thought with a roll of her eyes as she gently rocked the baby up and down. After a while, the rest of the Straw Hats became more invested in the daily fight of their cook and swordsman- except the captain. Apparently he was more invested in Nami's promise of being able to hold the infant, and was standing rigidly beside her practically vibrating with anticipation.

"Nami, Nami, can I please hold it now?" he begged with a wheedling whine. Nami clicked her tongue, not sure it was responsible to make Luffy in any way responsible for a baby, but she didn't want to deny him the experience. She stepped close to him as she prepared to put the baby in his arms.

"Okay, hold him very gently and support his head, okay? Babies don't have strong necks and their skulls aren't fully formed yet, so their heads are very, very vulnerable," she instructed. Luffy nodded vigorously as he scooped the baby out of her arms, surprisingly very natural at adjusting to cradling the little guy. Nami couldn't help but smile warmly as he grinned brightly down at the baby, who was waving his arms with delighted little squeals.

"Hey, there, little guy! Wow, you're so happy! My name's Luffy and I'm gonna be King of the Pirates, so remember that, okay?" he told him, smiling so hard that his eyes scrunched up into little crescent-moon shapes. He began bouncing the baby like Nami had been earlier, then looked at Makino quizzically.

"So, what're you doing with Shanks, anyway? Why are you in Fuschia Village? The Grand Line is a dangerous place for a baby."

"Yeah," Shanks sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, obviously displeased with the situation. "I snuck over to be there for the little guy's birth, but somehow it got out to the Marines. I couldn't risk them going after Makino to get to me. Right now, the safest place for them is with me."

"Oh," Luffy grimaced. "See, Nami, this is why we have to kick the World Government's ass."

"Yes, yes, ass-kicking will come in due time," she sighed wearily. Makino giggled. She had a tick of covering her mouth with a hand when she laughed, Nami noticed, that was very endearing. She could see why Shanks would fancy a woman like her. As they stood beside each other, lovingly watching Luffy hold and chatter at the baby, it was very obvious that they were a doting and natural couple. _Good for them, _she thought with a smile.

"Hey, Nami," Luffy said, shuffling close to her while still bouncing the baby up and down against his chest, "I want a baby."

The screech that spilled from her mouth was unholy. She back-pedaled away from the confused young man, falling against Shank's broad form. He reflexively caught her by the shoulders; she knew it was reflexes because he currently had his head tipped back in the most raucous bout of laughter she had ever heard, so hard that his broad body shook violently against Nami's comparably smaller frame. Makino was blushing with a hand over her mouth and was looking between the startled navigator and the innocent-looking Luffy.

"_Luffy_!" Nami huffed breathlessly.

"What? I want one."

"Stop saying that!"

"But I want one!"

"You have no idea what you're saying!"

"Uh, yeah, I do. Me. Baby. Want. Can I have one?" Nami groaned loudly and ran a hand over her face. Truly, his idiocy and obliviousness knew no bounds.

"Luffy, you _are_ aware of what it takes to _get_ a baby, right?"

"Uh, yeah, Makino gave me the talk."

"Then why the hell are you asking me?!"

"Because! There are other ways to get a baby! Somebody must be getting rid of one."

"Oh my- Luffy, _oh my God_." She was standing up by her own accord now, because Shanks had doubled over wheezing from laughing so hysterically. His face was nearly as red as his hair and Nami was pretty certain they would have to get Chopper on the scene, because he was probably going to pass out from lack of oxygen soon. Nami struggled to keep her head from exploding from how high her blood pressure was jacked at the moment. "Luffy… You just said that the Grand Line is a dangerous place for babies, right? Therefore, we shouldn't put a baby at risk. You've declared war on the World Government and are competing with many other pirates for the title of Pirate King, yes?"

"Oh… Well, when you put it _that_ way…" He frowned deeply, cocking his head to the side. She thought maybe she had gotten through to him, until that stupid grin returned to his face. "So after I kick the World Government's ass and I become Pirate King, then can we get a baby?"

"_No_!" she screeched and head-chopped him. "Babies are immense responsibility! They require around-the-clock attention! Also, people just don't give away babies! Even if we did manage to find and adopt an orphan baby, we'd still have to care for it, and none of you morons have enough brain cells to manage caring for a fake plant, let alone a _baby_! And stop with this 'we' stuff! Why do you keep asking _me_?!"

"Because," he muttered through clenched teeth, cross-eyed as he stared at her hand that was still softly bonking him in the top of the head, "You're smart and responsible. You could teach me how to take care of a baby."

"I give up," she sobbed as she sank down to her hands and knees, completely overwhelmed by his complete lack of tact. She didn't know if her heart could take anymore. Did he really not know what it truly meant to ask _her_ for a baby? Somehow through her breakdown, he had managed to not mess up holding Makino's baby; he had kept him safe and secure through her head-chops, and the baby wasn't even upset by all her yelling, quite content with the way Luffy was bouncing him up and down. Not that it mattered. He could hold one, maybe, but when it came time to feed one, he would be trying to give him meat.

"Hey, little guy, you hungry? Sanji makes great meat."

"I give _up_," she sobbed again as she all but melted against the wooden deck. Shanks had recovered from his laughing fit and was sitting up beside her, still red-faced as he struggled to contain short bursts of giggles.

"Ahahaha, oh, man, that was funny as shit," he snickered as he clapped Nami repeatedly on the shoulder. "You sure have your work cut out for you with this moron."

"I told you! I'm not his girlfriend!" she shrieked, and Emperor or no, he was still on the receiving end on one of her vicious whaps. He looked at her like a wounded puppy as he rubbed the welt where she had struck his chin with an uppercut.

"I didn't say that! Luffy! She's scary!"

"Yeah, I told you, shoulda listened," Luffy shrugged and whirled on his heel to carry the baby over to where Sanji and Zoro were still fighting. "Hey, check it out, little guy! This is what a fight looks like! You're gonna grow up to be a real ass-kicker just like us, right?" he was laughing as he made sure the baby could see the cook and swordsman whacking at each other like there was no tomorrow.

"You're an idiot," she sighed as she sat up and brushed her strands of tangerine hair- which probably had streaks of gray by now- from her face. Still, she had to smile. She had to admit, Lufdy did look happy holding the little guy.

He had a long way to go, but someday, Nami didn't doubt that he would make a great father.

"Are you sure you aren't Luffy's girlfriend?" Makino asked as she crouched down beside her. "That was an awful lov-"

"No! No! Nope! Not happening! No, thank you!" Nami yelled with emphatic shakes of her head, literally screaming denials as it was her face that took on the crimson hue of Shanks' famous red hair. Before the two could interrogate her anymore about feelings she was certainly not ready to discuss or even acknowledge, she scrambled over to Luffy to make sure he was actually taking care of the baby.

Great father he could be in the future, but right now, he was still dumb as a sack of rocks when it came to babies.

~Bonus~

Shanks sighed contentedly as he watched the flustered girl scurry away from his and Makino's continuous prodding. With another short laugh, he tossed the long strands of his red hair from his face and motioned for Makino to sit down on the deck beside him; his legs were still jelly from laughing so hard he had nearly pissed himself, so there was no standing for him anytime soon. His beloved eased herself down onto her knees beside him, and his good arm immediately wound itself around her thin waist to hold her close. She rested her hand on his shoulder, smiling warmly as she watched young Nami berating Luffy for asking the baby if he wanted to hold one of Zoro's swords.

"He's come a long way, hasn't he?" she sighed. Shanks nodded in agreement, then snorted in laughter.

"Still a long way to go, though. 'Specially when it comes to women. I thought Nami was gonna kill him." Makino giggled. He always loved her giggles. They resounded like clear bells in the morning, vibrating in his soul and lighting it alive. Watching Luffy handle his son out of the corners of his eyes, he pressed a kiss into her temple. "I love you, Makino."

"I love you too, honey." He smiled against her green hair, inhaling her sweet scent of summer grass and honeysuckle accented by the pungent sourness of the ale she served in the bar in Fuschia Village. He began to rub small circles into the small of her back.

"So, wanna make a bet on when they get married?"

"I heard that!"

"Oh, hell, Jesus-" he sputtered and did not manage to duck in time as Nami wrenched off her flip-flop and chucked it with deadly precision, striking him right in the middle of his forehead. As he fell roughly down onto his back, Makino was making those delighted giggles next to him, and he had to smile despite the stinging pain in his forehead.

_Glad you found yourself a nice girl, Luffy… Although, she scares me. _


	67. Sleep-Talking

Category: Romantic Fluff

Characters: Sabo, Koala

_Greetings, friends! Alas, Saboala Week is coming to an end! Due to involvement in several other fandom weeks, I will not be producing any work for the Bonus Day. So, this is my last installment for this time, for the Day Six prompt "Kiss." I hope you've enjoyed my works!_

"Koala?" Sabo called softly as the toe of his boot prodded at the base of the slightly ajar door to her quarters. The slow glow of lamplight pouring through the thin cracks indicated that the girl was in, but strangely, he heard no response. Eyebrow crooked, he eased it open; the iron hinged whined loudly in protest as they were forced to swing. Light spilled over Sabo's scarred face as he poked his head around the door to scan quickly across the room. He quickly discovered why she had not answered; she was currently slumped over her desk, shoulders slowly rising and falling with deep, gentle breaths that were indicative of sleep. He clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. Of course; she was always overworking herself. It was not uncommon for him to find her like this, passed out over half-finished documents. He shouldered the door all the way open before crossing the room in quick strides.

"Up we go," he murmured under his breath as he gently eased the chair back. Her body adjusted to the movement by slumping further over the table, nearly bending her in half as he pulled the chair out. Once he had enough room to maneuver, he very carefully slipped her arms around his shoulders and slipped his underneath her thighs, picking her up in one smooth motion so as not to jostle her. He tensed as she mumbled something incomprehensible and snuggled her face into the crook of his neck, but her breathing never quickened, so he did not think that she had awakened. Slowly and with care, he walked her across the room to her bed. He supported her with one arm while he pulled her comforter back enough to lay her down on the mattress; as he did so, he supported her head while he guided her body down, gently letting her down onto the soft surface. When he went to pull away, he gulped as Koala's arms insistently clung onto him. She muttered something as she nuzzled her nose right into his sternum.

"Koala," he whined as his legs and lower back muscles began to burn at the odd angle in which he was bent. He alleviated the pressure by bracing one knee into the spongey mattress and planting his hands on either side of her hips. "You aren't gonna make this easy, are you?" he huffed down at her. Still completely oblivious, she snoozed on, cuddling into his chest. Sabo would like nothing more than to crawl into bed with her and hold her for the night, but that wouldn't do. As far as Koala was concerned, their relationship was strictly professional. She had no idea about the intense feelings Sabo harbored for her, and for both their own safeties, he would prefer to keep it that way. Hands wrapping around her wrists, he forcibly pried her grip from his clothes and settled her arms by her sides. Almost as if a magnet drew her, her hands immediately sprang back up to clench into the meat of his biceps.

"Oh my- _Koala_!" he hissed as her nails dug into the muscles, almost teasingly. There was drool leaking from the corners of her mouth as she snored on contentedly, but Sabo was having a hell of a time being convinced she was asleep. It was always like this, though. Koala was a clingy sleeper, and he always had to wrangle her like a damn circus monkey when he put her to bed like this. He always said he would just let her wake up at the desk with a crick in her neck and back aching to spare himself the trouble, but yet he always found himself in this position. Damn him and his kindness, it really was going to get him into trouble someday. Koala was smiling in her sleep as he glared down at her sleeping form. "Why are you like this?"

"Warm," she purred as she pawed at the front of his vest. Sabo's shoulders slumped as he rolled his eyes. Sleep-talking, too? Did she have to be so cute? It was really hard for him to hang on to the shred of willpower he had left. He heaved a heavy sigh, preparing to once more attempt to disentangle the sleeping girl, but when he looked down at her face again, he saw that her dark irises were peeking out at him from beneath her thick lashes.

He froze as all the blood drained from his face. He was in a pretty compromising position, leaned over her body as if he were in the middle of climbing on top of her and one hand wrapped around one of her wrists. Oh, hell, she was probably about to scream at him, and hit him. _Shit. Hell. Fuck, _his mind stammered uselessly. He could only watch as her eyes opened further, half-lidded as she stared blearily up at him. "You're warm," she whispered suddenly. "Don't go."

_Is she still asleep?! _He thought wildly. Her free arm circled up to loop around his neck, tugging his hat off his head and tossing it lazily to the floor. Those some pretty impressive motor skills for someone who was unconscious, but not altogether impossible. Her fingers threaded into his blonde hair, tearing the strands, before her fingers slowly traced a tingling path from the back of his head to the scar tissue on his face. As the pads of her fingers painted nonsensical shapes just below his eye, Sabo gulped slightly.

"You're not asleep, are you?"

"No." With a shaky breath, he ran his hand through his cords of hair, which were rapidly becoming coated with beads of nervous sweat. They were creeping into dangerous territory, and honestly, Sabo didn't know if he could stop himself at this point. "What's that look?" she asked sleepily as her caramel hair fell into her face with the way she tilted her head. Sabo's fear and concern were clearly showing on his face. Her expression grew sad all of a sudden. "Sabo… I'm tired of pretending… I don't care about the consequences. Just stay with me," she pleaded.

Sabo's heart lurched with the overwhelming desire to comply. Her mind was surely still clouded with sleep and she wasn't thinking straight. If Sabo did as she asked, who knew if she would remember what had transpired? He was probably signing himself up for an ass-kicking. He looked down at her with uncertain eyes. She puffed out her cheeks and pouted at him, making grabby hands at his shoulder with one hand while the other continue to trace patterns into the scar on his face.

"You know," he sighed as he reached up to pull her hand away from his face, "you really are troublesome." She pursed her lips at him, then gasped lightly as Sabo suddenly turned his face to press a long kiss into her palm.

Consequences be damned, Sabo _wanted_ her, damn it.

"Sa- _mmmf_!" Her cry of his name was muffled as he dove down to claim her lips in a hungry, needy, open-mouthed kiss. Sabo about fainted when she moaned softly into his mouth, the fingers of the hand he was still holding up twitching with the desire to thread through his hair again. He released her wrist and it immediately jumped into his hair, teasing the strands into messy cowlicks with how forcefully she was pushing through it. He climbed the rest of the way onto the bed, knees on either side of her hips as he caged her in. Greedy hands pulled at his body, lowering him down so there was not a centimeter of space between them. The way her chest heaved with gasping breaths sent Sabo into an indescribable high, and as he tangled his tongue with hers, the sweet taste of her got him drunk in an instant. His hands began to roam, down her curves, pushing under to the small of her back to pull her further against him, down to the backs of her soft and supple thighs to the backs of her knees to make her wrap her legs around his middle. Koala allowed him to maneuver her as he wished, an instrument for him to play as his heart sang with every crashing crescendo of their mouths.

As much as Sabo would've just liked to kiss her until the end of time, he kind of started to suffocate and had to pull back. As he tried not to make a show of sucking in quick, quiet breaths and replenish his oxygen supply, Koala hummed contentedly beneath him and jerked his head forward so she could bury hers into his neck.

"Um…"

"Sleepy. Kiss more in the morning," she mumbled, and like that, she was out. Sabo stiffly sat there for a minute, still trying to determine if what had just happened was some delirious dream of his or not, but he didn't wake up in his bed so he decided that it was not. He snorted in laughter at it all. _What a night, _he thought and breathed in deeply. Koala's hair carried the odd scent of sugar and honey. He liked it. He slipped an arm under her neck so he could roll onto his side without disturbing her too much. As he settled beside her in the bed, she snuggled up close to him to be in contact with every square inch of skin that she could. _Always was a clingy sleeper, _he thought lovingly as he stroked her hair before dropping a few light kisses to the top of her head. "Love you," she murmured into his neck.

Whether she was sleep-talking or not, Sabo supposed it didn't really matter.


	68. Needed Part II

Category: Mild Romantic Fluff

Characters: Monkey D. Luffy, Baby 5

Requested By: Wannabekurt (Ao3)

Baby awoke with a frightened gasp and her heart lurching in her chest. It burned with the phantom pain of being torn right out of her. Before her waking eyes, she could still see Doflamingo grinning deviously at her while her blood dripped from his hand that was holding her still-beating organ. Gasping for breath, her hands fisted the sweat-drenched sheets around her as she struggled to differentiate between her nightmare and reality enveloping her. Her senses were confused with the fact that she could not see anything with it being nighttime, and for a few terrifying seconds, she really did believe that she was _dying_. It was only when Robin blearily asked her if she was all right that her mind was able to ground itself in the real world.

"Baby? You okay?" Robin repeated sluggishly. Baby's eyes had adjusted to the moonlit gloom then, and she stared owlishly at the black-haired woman as she rolled over in her bed to peer at her with bleary blue-purple eyes.

"Y-yes!" Baby stammered quickly. "Yes," she repeated and ran her hands through her wavy black hair, which was slicked to her scalp with a disgusting sheen of nervous sweat. "I'm all right. I was just getting up to get a drink of water and stumbled a little getting out! I toss and turn a lot, and I tend to tangle myself up in the sheets. I'm sorry for waking you!" she lied quickly. Robin's eyes glittered critically at her before she shrugged and rolled back over in her bed, body falling still as she drifted back into slumber. Baby 5 exhaled deeply, relieved she did not have to face an inquisition from the archaeologist, before peeling the wet sheets from her body and slipping out of her bed. She might as well make good on the lie, after all, and it wasn't like she was going to be able to sleep for a while yet.

It had been several days since they had left Dressrosa, Doflamingo defeated and power returned to the ruling family. Baby was a _nakama_ now, and so the Straw Hats had no qualms about her continuing onward with them. At current, they were sailing towards Zou, where half of the crew had traveled to rendezvous with Law's crew of pirates. Baby had of course participated in the battles to dethrone the Warlord, and it had been a very harrowing experience. Though she trusted Luffy and his companions with her life, the fear of death Doflamingo had placed with her had very, very deep roots. Though he was likely in Impel Down by now, Baby 5 had been plagued by nightmares since his takedown. Her subconscious had imagined all the gruesome ways possible he could murder her, and she didn't doubt that her wild imagination surely had several more options to explore. She shuddered as she walked down the dark halls of the interior of the _Sunny_. She wished these nightmares would end, but she had no earthly idea of how to put her mind at ease. Simply telling herself that Doflamingo could no longer hurt her was apparently not nearly enough.

Baby 5 nearly jumped out of her skin as a door a few feet in front of her slung open and spilled bright yellow light out into the hallway. As if that wasn't bad enough, the tall, lanky form of Trafalgar Law came striding out, sipping at the last dregs of his coffee and presumably searching for more. Baby gulped as his golden-brown eyes locked on her form, disheveled and wandering around the ship in a flimsy nightgown that did little to protect her from the draft. Law had proven himself trustworthy by all means, and she didn't have any worries of him betraying Luffy. But dammit, he still unnerved her with that critical gaze and potential to vivisect her on a whim if his mood was soured enough. Luffy would get mad at him for it, of course, but she didn't think that was more than a mild annoyance. Law in a lousy mood was an unpredictable set of variables. Her fingers twiddled nervously as he continued to stand in the middle of the hall starkly outlined by the light, playing with the now-empty ceramic cup.

"It's unlike you to be awake at this time of night. Have the nightmares gotten that bad?" Baby twitched at how easily he was able to read right through her, like he had used his Scan. It wasn't hard to guys what she was thinking, with her mouth gaping open and her eyes blown wide; Law snorted and rolled his eyes at her completely stupefied expression. "Please, Baby, I've known you for years now… On top of that, I'm probably the world's leading expert on nightmares," he grumbled.

Baby's mouth snapped up to where her lips pressed into a thin line. She didn't doubt that was true. Law had suffered more than most. With a heavy sigh, he rubbed the back of his neck and looked down the hall- dare she say, was he being bashful? "Luffy's on watch tonight," he said suddenly, and without saying more, he whirled on his heel to march down the hall in search of his bitter beverage. Baby 5 watched his gaunt figure turn the corner with a mixture of feelings. Law was many things, but "kind" was not one that she had ever associated with him. She had been remiss up until then.

Per Law's not-so-subtle hint at what she should do to seek comfort, Baby ascended the levels of the ship until she arrived at the crow's nest. As soon as her tousled head breached the barrier of the floor, Luffy was on his hands and knees, scrambling over to her and practically sobbing.

"Oh, Baby, thank goodness you're here! I'm so bored I think I might _die_! Did you bring any meat? Any food at all? I'm _starrrrrrving_," he whined as he shoved his face into hers so forcefully that their noses bumped. Thank goodness for Baby's reflexes, because most people would screech in alarm and fall right back down the ladder; thankfully, her instinct was to clamp down tight onto the rungs and freeze solid as her captain sprung on her like a man possessed. His eyes watered pitifully as he implored her, and she honestly felt bad for informing him that no, she did not bring him any food. "_Dammiiiiiiiit_!" he whined miserably and flung himself dramatically on his side in front of the small hatch Baby 5 was still perched in. "This is it. This is the end for me. I'm gonna starve."

Had it been the beginning of their journey together, Baby probably would have rushed down to the kitchen to procure him a midnight snack, but she had found that her insane need to help had diminished to a reasonable level. Besides, if she feared anything besides Law and Doflamingo, it sure as hell would be Sanji's wrath if he found out she was raiding his stores to satiate Luffy's endless appetite. Luffy watched her with a childish pout as Baby climbed the rest of the way through the hatch and gently pushed the door back into place before kneeling primly beside him. It was clear that she was not going to deliver him food, so he ceased his excessive display and jolted back up into a sitting position, crossing his legs and holding onto his calves as he stared blankly at her. Baby struggled to decide how to broach the topic of her nightmares. Suddenly, his hands flew to her cheeks to thumb the dark circles under her eyes.

"L-Luffy," she stammered in surprise.

"Are you having nightmares, Baby?" he asked quietly. Her muscles tensed as for the second time in a very short period that she was effortlessly read like an open book. His thumb was calloused as it rhythmically traced the dark lines underscoring her weary eyes, but despite the rough skin, his touches were incredibly soft.

"Yes," she admitted meekly. There wasn't a point in lying, and she had sought Luffy out to receive comfort anyway. Yet, Baby felt embarrassed. Why was she the only one having nightmares? The battle with Doflamingo had been hell for everyone involved. If not the struggle for Dressrosa, then surely there were things that haunted the Straw Hats too. It didn't seem that way, however. They charged headlong into everything and seemed to come out unscathed, at least mentally. Baby found frustrated tears bubbling up in her eyes. They bled into Luffy's fingers before rolling the rest of the way down her reddening cheeks. "F-forgive my weakness."

"Baby, you're _not_ weak," he countered firmly. With a little pout, she peered at him through her lashes.

"Do _you_ have nightmares?"

"I sure as hell _do_." The answer honestly surprised her. Luffy was so resolute and brave; she just couldn't picture him having nightmares. There was no lie in his unyielding stare, though. "Having nightmares doesn't make you weak. Actually, if you get up and keep going despite your nightmares, I think that makes you pretty badass," he smiled brightly at her, sweeping his thumbs over her cheeks to wipe away the tears that were still leaking from her eyes. "It's okay to be scared sometimes. I get scared about certain things, but I just remind myself that I have my _nakama_, and they give me the courage to kick my nightmares' asses, yeah?" Baby 5 had to giggle at his completely botched execution of comforting her. Truly, Luffy was a unique guy. Her hands rose to wrap around his two that were cupping her cheeks.

"Thank you, Luffy. I feel better."

"_Shishishishi_! I'm glad!" he grinned brightly at her. Baby always thought that she might be blinded by the sheer intensity of his sunny smile, but she also found that she could never look away, wishing instead to be bathed in its illuminating magnificence. His toothy grin fell into the pleasant smile as he suddenly leaned forward to press a small kiss to the tip of her nose, and then he angled his head so that he could press another sweet, chaste one to her lips. He was still getting the hang of the whole "romantic" thing, but Baby was not one to begrudge his unique affections. They were a part of him, a part of him she loved just like everything else. When he pulled back, she hummed contentedly with eyes lidded with sluggish serenity. "Sleepy?" he laughed good-naturedly.

"Mhmm."

"C'mere! I'll keep you warm!" he beamed and threw his arms out wide on either side of him. Baby obediently crawled over to situate herself in his lap, and once she was settled, he wrapped his big, strong arms around her in a tight embrace while nuzzling the top of her head with his cheek. "Oh, I gotta keep lookin' out the window, though," he said. Baby would have gotten up so he could move, but there was no moving in his crushing hug. He made do by scooting across the floor until he reached his desired scouting spot. "Isn't the ocean pretty at night, Baby?" he asked against her ear as he propped his head comfortably against hers. Her thick black hair rubbed against his chin as she nodded in agreement. The waves were rolling calmly, stretching out endlessly on the horizon and sparkling as they caught the luminescence of the stars above. As she snuggled into him, he busied himself with tracing abstract patterns into the skin of her upper arm, trying to keep himself from growing bored, she supposed. "Hey, Baby?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm really glad you joined my crew."

"Me too, Luffy," she smiled as she buried her face into the crook of his neck, lulled into tired bliss by his body heat and slow, gentle breaths. For a guy as muscular as he was, he was also surprisingly soft. Baby's bed didn't come near as close to the level of comfort she was feeling then. Her eyes drifted shut as she abandoned herself to his presence. There, in the arms of the man she needed and who needed her, she found herself wafting into the most pleasant sleep she had ever experienced. With his strong arms wrapped tightly around her, no nightmare could even come close.


	69. Not In Love

Category: Romantic Fluff

Characters: Nami, Trafalgar Law

Requested By: anubislover (Tumblr)

Trafalgar D. Water Law was not in love.

Trafalgar D. Water Law was a fearsome pirate captain who prowled the Grand Line. He was a man who had ripped the hearts out of one hundred notorious pirates and presented them as a gift to the Marines in order to be named one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, all in an effort to build enough repertoire and power to take down another- which he had accomplished, by the way. He was a young genius doctor who could save lives or end them all according to his own whimsies. His persona was cold, stoic, and unbothered.

Trafalgar D. Water Law was _not_ in love. He certainly was not in love with a certain tangerine-haired beauty that happened to serve as a rival pirate captain's navigator.

He told himself that, even as he lounged against the balustrade of the upper deck watching from underneath the brim of his hat as she carefully pruned her dutifully-tended citrus trees looking like the picture of a harvest goddess gracing his mere mortal self with her undeserved divinity. Her back was to him, and his golden eyes watched in quiet rapture as her curly orange hair bounced just above the swell of her shapely bottom. He tried not to look at it. Law didn't figure himself a pervert. But God damn, how could he help it when it was literally _right there_ and barely concealed by the fabric of her little jean short-shorts? Hell, he'd have to _blind_ himself to stop. Black Leg-ya would probably do it for him if he found out. Nami would just make him pay a hefty sightseeing fee. He made sure to shift his gaze a little as she turned around, instead staring at the serene smile on her face as she lifted up the wicker basket full of tangerines and wiped the sweat from her brow with the back of her hand. He liked her smile. It always made her eyes shine.

_Trafalgar D. Water Law was not in love_.

"Law, would you like one?" Nami asked sweetly as she walked across the deck towards him. His hawk-like eyes did not miss the sashay in her hips as she approached. Was it legal for a woman to be that sexy? She probably wasn't even aware of it; why would she be doing it on purpose? If she was, what was her angle? Nami was a woman of angles. He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't even answer her. "Hey, Earth to the Surgeon of Death," she huffed as she stopped in front of him and bent down to flip up the brim of his hat. Jesus, she was wearing a bikini top and it left absolutely nothing to the imagination. He hastily dropped his eyes to the basket of little round tangerines before he earned himself a nice smack upside his head.

"Yeah. Thanks," he answered her primly and reached out to pluck one of the succulent fruits from the basket and begin peeling it. Rather than heading down to the main deck, she set the basket down and procured herself her own snack, sitting down beside him and work at removing the shell. He was painfully aware at their close proximity, his nerves jumping with propagations every time her elbow accidentally knocked into his as she worked at the orange citrus fruit. Her face tilted downwards, the sun was hitting her at just the right angle that her orange hair blazed like fire and her hazel eyes were accented with flecks of gold.

_Trafalgar D. Water Law was not in love. _

She looked at him as she pushed a slice of the tangerine in her mouth. Law had been too busy gawking at her to peel the fruit and it was now sitting half-peeled in his lap. He hurriedly resumed the task at hand, trying not to seem so suspicious, but Nami's keen eyes missed nothing.

"What are you thinking about?"

"What makes you ask that?" he countered brusquely and bit down on one of the tangerine slices in an act of mild aggression. The tang of the juice alit his tongue with fervor. Absently, he thought that it was a damn good tangerine. "I'm just sitting here," he remarked, half the fruit slice still clenched in his teeth. It bobbled up and down a little as he spoke.

"You were staring at me."

"Was not." He wasn't staring at her. He wasn't admiring the way her hair shone in the sunlight, nor how it framed her face the perfect way or accented the slight tan of her skin. He wasn't looking at the tattoo on her shoulder and wondering where the scar it was attempting to hide came from. He wasn't appreciating that immaculate body of hers with twitching fingers eager to run over that supple skin and commit her curves to memory.

That's what he told himself, because Trafalgar D. Water Law was _**not**__ in love_.

"Yes you _were_!" God, the teasing inflection of her voice and the light shove she gave to his shoulder was doing all kinds of things to him. She wasn't the least bit intimidated by him, not at this point, anyway. "What is it, Law? Like what you see?" she cooed with a demure flutter of her eyelashes.

"And what if I said I did?" he snorted, his annoyance with all the confused fluttering his heart was doing getting the better of him at the moment.

It was a harmless question, because _Trafalgar D. Water Law was __**not in love**_.

Every muscle in his body tensed as she propped her elbow on his shoulder. His golden eyes were wide as they flashed at her, burning in the corners of his eyes as he set his jaw stiffly. The fingers that were draping over the fabric of his coat were softly tracing abstract patterns into the black cloth. Her eyes were lidded as she gazed at him with an expression that was a mixture of excitement and desire.

"Oh, I don't know, _Law_." The way she purred his name sent the fine hairs on the back of his neck standing at attention. His tongue flicked out to moisten his lips as they tingled with the insane urge to claim hers in a heated kiss. The act was practically dancing in front of his eyes. He _could_ kiss her. He could grab her and wipe that shit-eating grin off her face before she even knew what was happening. It'd be a hell of a kiss, because he didn't do things half-ass- besides, soft, chaste little kisses were for people who were in love, and _Trafalgar D. Water Law_ _sure as hell_ _**was not**__ in love_. "The question is," she breathed against the shell of his ear, tucking the strands of her hair behind hers as she stared at him avidly, "what would _you_ do if _I_ said I wanted you to?"

In the next second, he had Nami pinned under him amidst a scene of chaos, his fluffy white hat tossed several feet away as Nami tousled through his dark hair with her nails scraping over his scalp and tangerines rolling around the deck from where her foot had flung out and kicked the basket over in her effort to wrap her legs around his waist. His mouth was smashed against hers in a fierce, hot, sloppy open-mouthed kiss with their tongues fervently tangling together, and his eyes almost rolled back into his head at the absolutely delectable taste of her mixed with the sharp tang of the tangerines. His hands had finally gotten their wish and were roaming everywhere they could reach, mapping out the contours of her body and squeezing here and there to elicit delighted little gasps that made him absolutely high. As a matter of fact, it was _so_ very illegal for Nami to be that sexy and he relished that he was the one taking advantage of that right then.

It didn't take long for the blazing fire between them to die down. With a deep exhale, Nami's head flopped down against the deck with a slight thump, her rich brown eyes never leaving his for a second. Smirking, Law leaned down to press light, chaste little kisses across her cheeks and nose.

That's all it had taken for Trafalgar D. Water Law to reconcile with the fact that he was utterly, completely, totally, and stupidly in love.


	70. Blessed

Category: Family Fluff

Characters: Monkey D. Luffy, Nami, Child OC

_This is a present for my lovely friend, deliathedork~ She dutifully comments on a vast majority of my work and I thought it was high time I repay her kindness personally. Plus, she drew a hella cute fanart of a LuNa child and inspiration struck me like lightning, so, here's the little drabble I put together! Enjoy~ :3_

Nami's long tangerine hair ruffled lightly as the light breeze poured onto the porch where she was seated in the porch swing, pushing herself slowly back and forth with the tips of her toes as she watched the wind play with the crisp green leaves of her flourishing tangerine grove. The fruits were plump and fat on the skinny branches and Nami knew it was high time she harvest them, but it was such a nice day that she had decided to take a few minutes to enjoy it. The empty basket lay beside her on the chair, waiting patiently to be filled with her succulent, well-tended tangerines. The swinging chair creaked and groaned with each of Nami's movements. It was a sturdy construction, one of Usopp's making- a wedding present, in fact, to celebrate the union of Nami and one King of the Pirates.

Nami's mouth twitched into a small smile at the thought of her husband. It had been eight years since he had achieved his dream, but his sense of adventure was far from dead. Upon that crowning achievement the Straw Hat crew had continued to sail the seas together, but following their engagement, Nami had expressed her wish to retire to Cocoyashi Village and take over her mother's tangerine farm. He had graciously abided her wish to ensure her happiness. The crew finally disbanded with Luffy's official retirement, and home they came. Nojiko had done well to watch after Bellemere's estate, and actually hadn't wanted to relinquish it at first; however, Nami knew that Nojiko hadn't sought after any dreams of her own for managing the tangerine farm. There had been tears and smiles as Nami convinced her sister that it was high time she chase after her own desires, while Nami paid time long due. Besides, she didn't mind; it was what she wanted. Her map of the world framed on the wall while the couple busied themselves with both expanding the household and planning their wedding.

They were married there, in the tangerine grove with the entire village and all their friends in attendance (which made for a massive gathering, given Luffy's propensity for friendship). It had seemed to Nami that the entire Grand Line had been invited, and the rest of them turned up anyway. Where Straw Hats went there was a magnificent party to follow, and Nami awoke to find pirates and Marines and royalty alike all passed out in her front yard in various degrees of inebriation. Usopp had actually made the porch swing completely plastered on ale, but somehow it was still immaculately constructed.

It took all of a week after that for the boredom to take hold of him. With the house completed and the wedding over, there was nothing to satiate his endless drive. Though he didn't openly complain, Nami would always find that he wandered down to the docks to sit upon its edge, the bottoms of his sandals skimming the small waves as he stared longingly at the horizon. Nami would never deprive Luffy of his freedom, so she had given him her leave to travel as he pleased with the only stipulation that he come home once in a while. To her great surprise, he had vehemently refused. _"If your place is here in Cocoyashi, then my place is with you," _he had told her with that serious blank stare of his. She had started to cry, and he fell off the cliff into the water reeling, thinking he had upset her somehow. She had jumped in after him, hauling him to the beach and crying and laughing and calling him and idiot and saying she loved him so, _so_ much.

Very soon after that, Nami was in no condition to travel at sea anyway.

Nami turned as she heard the familiar slapping of flip-flops against wood just in time to see a small form burst through the screen front door. Nami smiled warmly as her five-year-old daughter scampered breathlessly up to her, holding something behind her back as she giddily beamed up at her.

"Momma, look!" she sniggered before plopping an old, worn, red-banded straw hat to her head. "I'm Daddy!"

"That's lovely, dear," Nami chuckled. Besides her wild orange hair, Islamere was the spitting image of her father, down to that stupidly big grin of hers. She even bore a curved scar like her father's, though under the opposite eye, which was clear evidence of the child's uncanny ability to attract trouble. She had earned the mark at three years old getting into a fist fight with a raccoon out in the yard (which she had won, of course). Luffy had laughed his head off while Nami was running around screaming for a rabies vaccine. Nami couldn't help but grow a little strained thinking about the fact that she now had two headaches to deal with.

_Soon to be __**three**__, _she thought with a small sigh as she glanced down at her belly, swollen with her second child. Islamere tottered over to put her little hands on her round stomach. "Mommy, when is little brother Ace going to be born?"

"Soon, dear," she answered as she lovingly ran her hands over her stomach. Nami had been the one to name Islamere. Nami had wanted to honor her mother in some way but wanted it to be unique. Robin was actually the one who had suggested "Isla" as the root, and Nami had combined it with the latter half of her mother's name to produce one that was a perpetual reminder of the two people she loved most in the world. Luffy had been fine with it, because his greatest suggestion for his daughter's name had been "Steak" and there was no way in hell Nami was naming her firstborn child after a cut of meat. She had been dreading what ridiculousness he would concoct learning she was pregnant with a boy, but he had immediately jumped in to naming him after his beloved brother.

Monkey D. Islamere and Monkey D. Ace. Nami didn't doubt that they would go on to do great, great things. She would be lying if a teeny-tiny part of her wished that they wouldn't take up piracy like their parents, even though there was a snowball's chance in hell of that.

"Momma!" It was clear to Nami that her daughter had been pestering her for a moment while she had been lost in thought, as she was shaking her arm insistently and pouting. "Momma, can we go pick tangerines so we can make tangerine sauce for Daddy?"

"Of course. He'd like that very much," she agreed with a nod. It took her a minute to ease herself up from the swinging chair. She groaned as pain flared in her lower back. Yes, there were many wonderful things about the joy of pregnancy, but the constant aches and pains were not one of them. Islamere grabbed the empty wicker basket and hopped down the porch steps to dash into the grove to begin squeezing the fruits, testing their ripeness before plucking them one by one from the trees. Nami followed more slowly, watching from her distance as her daughter methodically worked through the fruits. She had been taught by the best, after all, so even at five she was proficient at knowing which tangerines were ready for harvesting. She held her hands on her large belly, envision a little black-haired boy tugging at her shorts begging to be included. The vision made tears of joy prickle at the corners of her eyes.

Nami was blessed, that was for sure.

"Heyyyyyyyy!" Nami glanced over her shoulder as a cheerful voice floated up the path. The happy smile that graced her lips was almost instinctual as he spotted him striding up the dirt road, one hand waving wildly while the other had a sack hefted over his shoulder. It was incredible how much he had changed, growing taller and more muscular, but yet remained the exact same, jean shorts and flip-flops and red vest, toothy grin and sparkling eyes and a curved scar adorning his face.

"Daddy!" Islamere squealed, dropping the wicker basket to run over and launch herself at him. Luffy crouched down to catch her, then spun around whisking her high in the air before dropping her down into his arms. "Didja catch any big Sea Kings today? Huh? Huh?"

"Sure did! I got lots of good meet!" he cackled amiably. Luffy was no longer a pirate, but the sea still called him, so he had taken up a profession of hunting Sea Kings that prowled the nearby islands. Sometimes he hunted locally and sometimes he was gone for a week, but he was happy, and that's all that mattered to Nami. She watched warmly as he placed a hand on the straw hat that was still sitting atop her head. "Hey, it's my hat! It looks great on you, Islamere."

"Thanks! I'm gonna be King of the Pirates one day, too!"

Luffy started guffawing in ridiculous bliss while Nami paled, imagining all the terrible situations her daughter could get in trawling the Grand Line.

"That's awesome!"

"Don't encourage her!" Nami screeched, trying to wrench off her sandal to launch it his head. She of course threw off her equilibrium swinging her pregnant belly around, and she cried out as she wobbled precariously.

"Nami! Be careful!" Luffy scolded her as he stretched an arm across the yard to steady her. He quickly closed the distance between them to stand over her, frowning in concern while keeping an insistent hold on her waist. "You okay?"

"Yeah," she smiled sweetly, then thumped him in the forehead. Before he could ask why, she glowered at him with a hand on her hip. "Seriously! Our daughter is not going to be a pirate! Neither is our son!"

"But why? We were pirates."

"We should want our children to be better!"

"Right! Islamere can be a better King of the Pirates than me! Although, it's gonna be hard, 'cuz I'm awesome," he snickered while rubbing the underside of his nose with a smug snicker. Nami rolled her eyes but couldn't help but smile. She was fighting a losing battle. Of course they were going to be pirates; it was in their blood, after all. Nami could only hope that they amassed trustworthy crews to see them through thick and thin on their journeys. Luffy sensed what Nami was thinking and chuckled, pulling her forward to kiss her forehead sweetly. "Don't worry. They'll be strong."

"I know." He stepped back, setting Islamere down to crouch down and grab her belly with big hands.

"Ya hear that, little buddy? You're gonna be a great pirate too! _Shishishishishi_!" As he chattered blissfully to their unborn son, Nami watched with all the love in the world and more. _I truly am blessed to have such a loving husband who dotes on his children and wants them to live fulfilling lives. _After a second, Luffy jumped up, swinging the sack of fish meat around. He spied the basket of tangerines as Islamere carried it over.

"Guess what, Daddy! We're making your favorite!"

"Tangerine sauce?!"

"Yup! I picked these all by myself!"

"Whooooooa! That's so awesome, Islamere! I bet this tangerine sauce is gonna be _extra_ yummy then!" he grinned. Delighted, the girl ran into the house carrying the basket on her head, screaming at Nami to hurry inside so they could begin preparing dinner. As she chuckled, she felt Luffy's hand sneak into her own to hold it tightly.

"What?" she asked when she found him staring at her with a big smile.

"Nuthin'. I just love you."

After five years of marriage, she really ought to be used to his spontaneous proclamations and such, but she still flushed like a teenage girl and brought a hand to her cheek in obvious fluster. He chuckled proudly and leaned in to press another light kiss to her cheek before striding forward towards the house, tugging her along. Nami smiled as she stared at his strong back, the one that had borne the weight of a nightmare for her long ago and that she had followed dutifully ever since. Her days since then had been blessed…

And there were many, many more blessed days to come.


	71. A Hard Day

Category: Mild Romantic Fluff

Characters: Nami, Trafalgar D. Water Law

Requested By: anubislover (Tumblr)

_**Alternatum to As Lovers Do**_

Law's eyes were lidded as he gazed over the edge of the _Thousand Sunny_, watching the waves crash against the side of the boat with more and more insistency as they became trapped between its broad wooden frame and the rapidly approaching docks. The sea shifted from sapphire blue to a bright blue-green as the sea slope rose, bringing with it the color of the muddy bottom sloshed up by the frothing waves. Over the rolling water and the flapping sails, Law could hear the ringing of bells as fishing boats announced their morning departure; no doubt, the docks were bustling with activity. Just like the Straw Hats to find the busiest island they could to make port.

"Is it really necessary we stop?" he griped to Sanji as the cook came up bearing the mooring rope. The blonde snorted slightly as he took a drag of his cigarette before puffing out the dark fumes, watching as they were snatched away by the coastal breeze.

"Yeah. I would have liked to last a couple more days, but Luffy and his bottomless pit of a gullet make that impossible," he complained. As the ship neared the docks, he hiked a leg up onto the balustrade so he could build up enough momentum to toss the mooring rope down to Zoro, who had hopped over to secure it. "We only need food provisions, so at worst it'll take about half the day. Usopp and Franky have to make repairs to the ship, so you're welcome to go walk around if you want to," he shrugged. He vaulted over the side of the ship before Law could quip that he didn't need Sanji's permission to do anything.

As he contemplated what he wanted to do, the rest of the Straw Hats plus a crew of samurai made their exit. Law's eyebrows quirked as he realized that he had not seen a certain tangerine-haired navigator among them, and he tossed a languid glance at her grove of citrus trees growing on the upper deck. From his position he could easily discern if she was pruning them, as she did every morning, but he was mildly shocked not to see her curvy, bright form trimming off the dark leaves. _Is Nami-ya not awake? _He thought as he marched to the metal door leading down to the bowels of the ship. It was unlike her, certainly; she wasn't one to sleep into the height of the day. His doctor's instincts were buzzing, thinking she may be ill. He descended the steps, arriving at the hallway where the bedrooms were, and strolled to the room where Robin and Nami resided. He rapped on the door with the back of his hand, calling, "Oi, Nami-ya. We're making port."

His golden eyes narrowed as he heard the unmistakable shuffling of blankets echo from within the small room, followed by a morose call somewhere along the lines of "Not interested." She really was still in bed? His hand fell down to the doorknob to wriggle it experimentally; his eyebrow quirked up when he found it to be locked. That was unusual. If he wanted to, he could easily use his Devil Fruit powers to unlock it, but he wasn't sure he cared enough to. If the woman wanted to be let alone, that was her own business. Still, he wanted to at least make sure she didn't require medical attention.

"Nami-ya, are you unwell?"

"No. I'm fine. I just want to be left alone," came the muffled reply. Her voice sounded strangely thick, which prompted two possibilities in Law's sharp mind- she had been crying, or she was suffering from some sort of head cold. Law didn't think she had much reason to cry, but, then again, he knew next to nothing about women. It wasn't high on his list of academic pursuits. Thus, he decided to proceed with the latter hypothesis.

"Nami-ya, if you don't feel well-"

"I said I'm _fine_! Go the hell _away_!" she shrieked, punctuating the order with what sounded to him like a miserable sob. He was about to get concerned until the door rang with a loud thunk of a shoe against the inside, and that just ticked him off. Scowling, he tugged the brim of his hat down and whirled on his heel to stalk stiffly away.

"Fine, you moody bitch! Stay here by yourself then!" he shouted back as he whirled the corner. He instantly felt bad about it, of course, because he was more sure now that Nami was suffering from an emotional ailment rather than a medical one; however, he wasn't known for immaculate bedside manner. His temper just bubbled too close to the surface for him to be calm and gentle with a moody woman. Muttering under his breath both about her stubbornness and his complete lack of tact, he marched back up to the upper deck, deciding a walk through the port was now warranted to blow off the steam that had accumulated within him. It practically blew out of his ears as he stomped across the grassy yard and jumped off the side of the ship to land on the wooden dock below. _Damn her… I guess that's what I get for trying to care. It's not like that's something I'm suited for. I let Black Leg-ya deal with her, _he groused silently as he stalked into town likely looking the picture of a thunderous executioner as he brooded.

He couldn't help but brood. The sobbing pitch of her voice as she wailed at him… It was ringing hollowly in his mind, and a little voice couldn't help but nag at him that he should have done something more. Absently, he wondered if wrenching out his heart for a little while would dull the pulsing ache throbbing in his sternum at the moment. Damn it. Emotions were annoying.

By a stroke of luck, he managed to catch up to Luffy and the others while aimlessly and grumpily trudging around. Luffy immediately scampered up at him to stare up at him with wide eyes and pursed lips.

"Hey, Trafalguy, you look extra grumpy. Did something happen?" The appearance of the childish straw hat-wearing pirate only added to the peak in Law's blood pressure. With a scowl, he tossed his head to inspect the fruits that Sanji was currently poring over. _Fruits. Tangerines. Nami. Nami crying._ A blood vessel began to bulge in his forehead.

"Ask your navigator."

"Ah, did you try to talk to her?" Robin asked. The amusement in her regal voice made Law's jugular tense with rage.

"What of it?"

"Nothing. Just don't hold it against her," the woman sighed as she picked up a melon and squeezed it experimentally. "It's a bad day for her." Law wanted to bark that it didn't give her the right to yell and chuck shoes at him, but he wasn't exactly the pinnacle of emotional management either, so he kept quiet. Besides, now he was far more interested in why the normally sunny girl would be curled up in bed sobbing her eyes out. Why he was interested, he wasn't sure, but he couldn't deny that he was.

"What's her deal?"

"That's for Nami to say, not us," Luffy quipped with an oddly firm edge to his voice as he crouched down to poke at a fruit beetle that was absconding with a discarded apple core. Law was actually kind of floored that Luffy would say something so sensitive, and that showed in the way that he gawked stupidly down at him. Luffy played with the beetle a minute before giving him that bright, sunny smile that made Law's eyes ache but that he also found aggravatingly reassuring. "If Nami trusts you, she'll open up."

"She probably trusts me as far as she can throw me," he huffed under his breath, whirling his Nodachi in his hand to prop it on his shoulder as he looked down the busy shop street. His expression stiffened into a contemplative frown as he considered the fact that he may actually want the girl to trust him. Why? He was just in this until his revenge was satisfied, and nothing more. Yet… The idea of her alone, in the dark, miserable and sobbing and sad, sent an undeniable pang of hurt fluttering across his heart. He knew what that was like, all too well. He let himself sit in his feelings for a second before running a hand over his tired face, sending them skittering back into the recesses of his body. _They're rubbing off on me… I'm getting emotions and shit… _he thought wearily before letting his hand fall to his side. "See you later," he said without fanfare before resuming his stroll down the road.

"Hey, where you goin', Trafalguy?"

"Window-shopping," he answered simply. Thankfully Luffy found that boring and didn't offer to accompany him. Law already had a headache; he didn't need another one following him around. Law honestly didn't know where his feet were carrying him, but his addled mind was just screaming at him to keep walking and see where he ended up. He rubbed his temples with his thumbs as he tried to make sense of his senseless mind. The Straw Hats were a temporary benefit. He didn't need to get close. He had a goal; everything else must come secondary to that.

He kept repeating that in his head like a mantra. But then, her tearful face would flash into his mind, brown eyes watery with her tangerine hair crimped and tangled with unrest, and all his reason would crumble with the insane urge to reach out to that crying phantasm.

At some point he found himself planking against a brick wall, growling and irritated. Was he not getting enough sleep? Had he slipped into delirium? He needed coffee. On instinct, his golden eyes shifted as movement caught his attention. A little girl came skipping out of the door of the shop he was currently loitering against, all smiles as she hugged a fluffy teddy bear to her chest. It was evident in her puffy red eyes that she had been crying over something, but there she was, bright and sunny and overjoyed with the stuffed animal in her grasp. Law's eyes trailed after her, fixated on the brown teddy bear with blank, beady black eyes. Teddy bears cheered women up, right? He didn't even have time to consider the ludicrousness of what he was doing before he was inside the store, poring over the display of stuffed animals.

"Oh, hello, sir. Shopping for your girlfriend?" chirped a much-too-happy voice from beside him. Law's angular eyes flickered over his shoulder to see a plucky shop girl standing next to him.

"No," he responded curtly. Something about the word "girlfriend" made him prickle.

"You don't seem like a man who is into teddy bears." Law thought of Bepo and his impossibly soft fur and his jaw set in embarrassment. The shop girl's smile was getting on his nerves. "A gift for a special lady, then, perhaps? You look too young to have small children," she remarked with a sweeping gaze over his form. His eye twitched as his body burned with a hot flash.

"I just happen to know someone who is in need of something like this."

"Oh, a get-well present, then?"

"Something like that."

"Aren't you a sweetheart?" she trilled while casually slapping him on the shoulder. His hand clenched unconsciously around the hilt of his sword. Didn't this girl have anything better to do than to pester him? She hummed happily as she bent one hand behind her back while the other was held up to her face with her index finger tapping thoughtfully against her lips. "I think you should give her this one!" she beamed before plucking a bear with honey-colored, almost orange, fur from the display and presenting it to him. He took it in one hand, looking at it critically. Its black, shiny eyes reflected his unsure expression.

"Why?"

"It's just a feeling. You should trust a young lady's intuition!" she grinned. Law would do anything to get the annoying young girl away from him, and a teddy bear was a teddy bear in his opinion, so he tucked the bear under his arm and fished out the appropriate amount of money to pay for it. "Thanks, mister! Good luck with your lady~" she chirped before scampering off to pester another customer. Law quickly left the store to put as much distance between himself and the overly friendly girl. Once he was a good distance down the street, he pulled out the teddy bear to looked at it with knitted eyebrows. Around its neck was an orange ribbon, the exact shade of a tangerine. Eyes widening slightly, he tossed a glance back at the shop.

_A woman's intuition, huh? Now I'm just creeped out, _he thought with a click of his tongue before shoving the bear into his cloak. Like hell he was going to be caught roaming around town with a goddamn teddy bear.

There really was no reason for him to linger in town any longer, so he trekked back to the _Thousand Sunny_. Usopp and Franky were still hard at work repairing the damaged section of the ship, so they didn't stop him to ask any questions. By how far the sun had traveled across the sky, it had been at least an hour since his first encounter with the despondent navigator. As he tromped down the stairs, he wondered if the girl's mood had improved or worsened. For the sake of his blood pressure, he hoped it was the former.

The hallway rang with the hollow echo of the metal as Law once again rapped his knuckles against it.

"Nami-ya. Open up," he commanded. Screw pleasantries and delicacy, he was here to deliver that stupid teddy bear and get a move on. It felt uncomfortable stuffed under his arm in his coat. A few seconds passed and he could hear the girl shuffling around within the room. It was just long enough for his nerves to begin working at him, wondering about the absurdity of what he was about to do. God, this would be ammo for Nami to hold against him. He was about to abandon the entire effort and pass it off as a present for Chopper before the metal door suddenly cracked open to reveal her pale, sunken face.

"… Hey, Law." The sorrowful tone to her normally cheerful voice made Law's jaw clench as an unfamiliar emotion took hold of him. All he could do was stare, hyper-aware of the sweaty pallor to her skin and the dullness of her brown eyes and the unwashed, unkempt disarray of her tangerine hair that he always absently thought looked nice. Wait a second. Where the hell was his mind traveling. He coughed uncomfortably and rubbed at the back of his neck, unsure how to start the conversation, when her gaze suddenly dropped guiltily to the floor. "I'm sorry I yelled and threw a shoe at you," she apologized in a hoarse, regret-ridden whisper. Law swallowed thickly. He knew he ought to apologize but he didn't exactly throw those around.

"I suppose… Calling you a 'moody bitch' was also not the appropriate reaction," he grumbled uncomfortably, suddenly finding himself unable to look at her. She fell silent, and that silence tugged his gaze back to her like a strong magnet. He swallowed compulsively as he saw tears beginning to brim up in her eyes. What the hell was he thinking? He didn't know how to comfort crying women! _I really should've let Black Leg-ya or Straw Hat-ya handle this,_ he thought while grinding his teeth. Unsure how to proceed, he just wrenched the teddy bear out from under his coat and shoved it into her arms. Nami gasped and stumbled back a little, grabbing onto the bear tightly, and looked up at him in shock. "You don't have to talk. You don't owe me an explanation. Although, it might do not to throw a shoe at the guy who's just trying to help," he told her stiffly and with far more edge in his voice than he meant. He then went slightly pink and rubbed at the back of his neck again, trying to rephrase it with more care. Since when was he so awkward with girls? "I-I mean… Just…"

"Thanks," she interrupted him. He had been looking off to the side again, and his gaze peeked out of the corners of his eyes to see her hugging the teddy bear to her chest, chin pressed into the crown of its fluffy head while she fingered the orange ribbon. She was crying again, which alarmed him at first because he thought he may have upset her, but he relaxed when he realized she was smiling. Not a fake smile, either, but a normal, sweet, happy smile. _Cute, _he thought blankly before a blush razed across his face again. He definitely needed coffee. He turned back to her as her fingers began lazily stroking patterns into the belly of the teddy bear.

"Well… Um… I guess I'll ge-"

"My mother," she squeaked quickly, stopping him in his motion of turning to walk away. She was still smiling, but it had taken a miserable turn that made even Law's hardened heart break a little. She reached out with a shaking hand to timidly grasp onto the waist of his long coat. "Today… Is the anniversary of my mother's death."

He stared at her for a minute before uttering a simple, soft, "Oh." _"Today's a hard day for her," _Robin's statement rang dully in his mind. Her fingers continued to clench into the black fabric, anchoring him there. Not that he wanted to leave anymore, anyway. How could he, when she was standing there with that pathetic, pleading look on her face. "Why… By yourself?" he asked her slowly.

"I didn't want to bother anybody. I was alone last year, too." _Right. Two years, _he recalled dimly. Before he could ask, she continued, "They just wanted to give me some space. Before you came… They all came by. Sanji made me breakfast… Chopper brought me some water so I wouldn't get dehydrated… Luffy came to talk to me about the sunrise this morning…" Her face softened a little recalling the small deeds her crew had performed for her. He then blushed when she laughed lightly, "and you yelled at me."

"_You_ yelled at _me_ first."

"I know," she chuckled as she tucked a crimped strand of her hair behind her ear. "I shut myself up in here… But you all came to see if I was okay anyway." She dropped her gaze again, gulping. "I still… Don't really want to talk, but… I'm also so _lonely_," she admitted in a small voice. Law gazed at her through lidded eyes. He hated it. He hated seeing her this way. He had an inkling of why and sure as hell didn't want to admit it, but he be damned if he wasn't going to act on it in this moment. He reached down to grab her wrist and pry it off his coat; Nami gasped, her head snapping up in an expression of fear that she had angered him. Law just wordlessly shouldered the door open, forcing her to rapidly back-pedal as he all but used his height and weight on her to manhandle his way into the room. His hand was still holding hers up, using it as leverage to force her back. "Wh-what are you-?"

"You don't have to talk," he repeated again as he kicked the door shut with his foot. He forced her back until her knees hit the mattress and she reflexively sat down against it. "You can sit in here alone all day, if you really want to," he shrugged before giving her a coy smirk and leaning down over her. "But if you'd like, we can sit in here alone together, hah?" He wasn't sure where all that courage and confidence was coming from all of a sudden, but from the expression she was wearing, it was working in his favor.

Her brown eyes were owlish as she gawked up at him. He was still holding her hand up by the side of his head, and he could see her fingers twitching out of his peripheral vision. She held that stare for a minute before her face relaxed into a reassured smile.

"Okay. I'm charging you by the minute, though," she joked lightly as he dropped her hand so she could push herself across the mattress, turning so she was now laying against the headboard right next to the wall. Law snorted in laughter but was relieved to see some sense of the normal Nami returning. He sat down and swung his long legs over the bed before propping his arms up behind his head, tipping the brim of his hat down over his eyes. He might as well catch some sleep before Luffy and his crew of clowns climbed back on board and made a bunch of noise.

Just as he was done settling himself in, he tensed as he felt Nami's head drop down onto his shoulder. He peeked down from underneath his hat to see that she had already slipped right into sleep, head lolling to nestle against the edge of his shoulder while she hugged the teddy bear close. He stared at her a second before gently easing her head into the junction of his neck and shoulder, because he wouldn't want her to strain her neck with such an awkward position. His nerves tingled with every puff of breath she exhaled over his skin.

_Alone together, huh? What were you thinking… _he chastised himself even despite the tiny smile that was working its way onto his lips watching her sleep peacefully. His eyes dropped down to the honey-orange teddy bear secure in her grasp.

_Shoulda thanked the shop girl. _


	72. Selfish

Category: Romantic Fluff

Characters: Ace, Nami

Requested By: anubislover (Tumblr)

Nami slowly, methodically swirled the punch around and around the faux crystal glass in her manicured hands as her hawk-like eyes watched the well-dressed patrons meander around the ballroom. She was sitting alone at one of the decorated tables, legs crossed to strategically display just the right amount of thigh but not enough to reveal the presence of her Climatact, holstered just below the junction of her leg and pelvis. Her brown eyes flashed with the holes of the mask she was wearing, a white mask with little kitten ears and tangerine-orange accents that match the embroidery of her regal silk gown. As she stalked her numerous mice, the cat thief slowly brought the glass to her lips to primly sip at the spicy punch, her eyes boring into the businessman who was sweating just watching her every saucy move.

_Bingo,_ she thought, unable to keep her lips from curling into a smirk. He would perceive it as more flirting, anyway. She set the glass down and took her clutch, turning to make quite a show of her walking up to the refreshments table by swinging her hips provocatively. _Seducing gross old men isn't my favorite pastime, but… Their wallets never disappoint, _she thought with a devious giggle as she approached the table.

Their next destination was Saobody Archipelago, better known as the entrance into the New World, but there was just one island before that stop- this one, so appropriately dubbed the "Island that Never Sleeps." It had established a name for itself due to the overwhelming population of rich persons of all backgrounds- from those who had crawled their way from squalor to those born into royalty- and their proclivity to throw nightly parties beginning the instant the sun set. It was another desert island, but somehow they had retrofitted it into a partying oasis- magnificent castles surrounded by man-made pools and shrubs and palms. It truly was a grand metaphor for making something out of absolutely nothing.

It was only one night until the log pose reset; it would have been reasonable for the Straw Hats to simply moor within the bay and wait for it to adjust before getting underway, but the Straw Hats never did the reasonable thing, did they? Luffy was just chomping at the bit to get off the boat, and for once Nami was willing to indulge him. After all, this was a pickpocket's treasure trove. Nami was going to pilfer every Belli she could between sundown and sunup, and so here she was, leaning over a table dunking a marshmallow into the chocolate fondue fountain in plain view of a wealthy silk merchant she recognized from the East Blue.

Giggling demurely, she flashed him a wink before bringing the soft, spongey sugar confection to her lips and very suggestively swirling her tongue around it to lap up the liquid chocolate. She had to avoid cringing as his face turned an ugly purple-red and he tugged at the collar of his shirt that had been hugging his bulbous neck even before Nami had begun her operation. It was enough to almost make her abandon her efforts, imagining his sweaty hands on her as he pulled her in for a dance, but she reminded herself of the fat wallet just peeking out of the pocket of his waistcoat. _It'll all be worth it in the end, Nami. _

"Tell me," purred a smooth voice suddenly. Nami gasped as a bulky frame in a tuxedo suddenly forced its way between herself and her target, and she looking up to see a brown-haired, freckled man adorned with a tiger mask, plastic flames licking at the ears and whiskers, "do you put on such a show for all your admirers, or just the ones you want to relieve of their Belli?"

"What the-?" she cried and stood up on her tip-toes to watch in dismay as the merchant was hauled away by his wife, who was scowling and dragging him by the ear. Surely the grinning man in front of her had alerted the woman to her husband's debauchery. "You jerk! He was probably carrying ten thousand Bellis in that wallet!" she huffed as she pouted up at him dourly. There was no point in denying his accusations; besides, she had this strange inkling that he really could care less about her sticky fingers and was more interested in herself. Well, if he wanted to play with Nami, she was sure she could find something on his person worth her time. Cooing, she traced her index finger abstractly over the thick muscle of his pectorals. "That's all right, though," she said with fluttering eyelashes. "If you went through all the trouble to get me by myself, surely you have a lucrative offer, no?" The muscle bulged beneath the black fabric of his tuxedo as he rumbled with laughter, making Nami's finger bounce as she held it right over his sternum.

"So, this is why you were known as the Cat Thief in the East Blue. That pretty face sure does hide a devious mind, doesn't it, _Nami_?" The blood drained from her face as he all but revealed her identity and brought his face close, breathing puffing before her nose. Her eyes widened behind the mask, which apparently did little to shield her identity.

"What the-? Who _are_ you?" she growled as her hand inched for her Climatact. He ignored her, reaching out to grab a strawberry and douse it in the chocolate pouring from the fountain. She licked her lips compulsively as he brought it to his mouth and bit down on the end of it, glittering dark eyes watching her from the holes in the mask. She stomped her foot, angry now that her prey had all but been wrenched from her with no offer of recompense. "Look, buddy, unless you're gonna reimburse me for my lost money or turn me into the Marines, I don't have time to waste with you!"

"Reimburse? How about a dance, then?" Nami scoffed and tossed her head as she rolled her eyes. The sheer incredulity! Still, she knew he was only doing it because he could so easily blackmail her; several high-position Marines were in attendance at the various parties in session across the island, including this one. He knew her name and face, and all it would take was one word and she would be thrown in a jail cell. "Just one. That's all I ask. As soon as we're done, you can get back to relieving all these _upstanding_ citizens of their monetary burdens." Nami peeked at him out of the corners of her eyes, arms crossed as she considered the proposal. His smirk was playful, mischievous, but not malicious as far as she could detect. There was some air of familiarity about him that was just tugging at Nami, inclining her to agree. A dance was harmless, and he didn't seem to have any other angle besides enjoying the pleasure of her company. Snorting air out of her nose, she made another chocolate-covered marshmallow and popped it into her mouth.

"All right, Mister, you have a deal," she conceded once she swallowed, then held out her hand for him to take. She cocked an eyebrow as he lightly took it and brought it to his mouth to gently press a lingering kiss to the top of her hand. Normally she would be creeped out, but the way his eyes glittered at her from within the tiger mask send electricity shooting up her arm and a blush creeping over her face. Tousled hair like wild grasses above the orange and black-striped mask, dark eyes pulsing with a dull heat, freckles above a confident sneer, and a body like it was sculpted by the gods, Nami would be a fool not to say the man was stupidly sexy- and that _voice_. Like honey dripping from his tongue, it was enticing and potentially dangerous. Nami very well could find herself stung by the end of this, but dammit if it wasn't making her all hot and bothered.

Why did she have the insane suspicion that she had heard it before, though?

Grinning at her all the while, he pulled her out onto the dance floor amongst the other well-to-dos waltzing to the string quartet in the corner. Nami, now entranced by every move he made, could only be the puppet to his command as he guided her into proper position, a large hand resting at the small of her back while the other held herself aloft in a light grip. Her other found his broad shoulder automatically, fingers digging a little into the dark fabric.

"You finally look like you're enjoying yourself," he remarked playfully as she slowly eased her into the motions. Nami flushed but, ever trying to keep the upper hand, returned his smirk with a demure smile and flutter of her lashes.

"Well, what girl wouldn't be enjoying herself in the arms of such a handsome man?" His shoulders jumped up and down with deep, rumbling chuckles. Every one made his thick chest bump a little against hers; he was holding her closely, familiarly, but somehow Nami didn't seem to mind. "What's so funny?"

"If you knew who you were talking to, I don't think you would be flirting with me so hard," he snickered, looking back at her. "It's not like I have any money you can pilfer off me, so you can stop with the roaming now." Nami gasped as she was caught red-handed. Her hand had migrated down from his shoulder to feel up his pockets, finding them frustratingly empty. She really had been drawn into a useless venture, and daresay outwitted. She pursed her lips childishly at him.

"I still don't get your angle here."

"Angle? Don't have one, aside from dancing with a gorgeous redhead." She was annoyed with her body's insistence on responding to his honeyed words by gradually reddening her skin, making her unbearably hot. His smile was ever-present, roguish and toothy. She stared hard at it. She knew that smile, dammit, she _knew_ it! "You really don't recognize me, do you, Nami?" He sounded sad at the prospect. Nami huffed and glared up at him.

"Well, how am I supposed to with you covering your face like that?"

"I knew who you were the instant I saw you." She flinched. Why did that affect her so much? The only way someone would be able to recognize someone under a mask is if that person was seared into their mind, every detail, every mannerism, every single bit of them preserved in immaculacy… His hand slowly traveled up the length of her spine, leaving goosebumps everywhere his fingers ghosted, but strangely she did not find it disgusting. She actually found herself arching into his touch, squirming a little so he would touch her more. Her eyes became lidded and her breaths heavy. It was like he was playing her body like an instrument he had mastered. His fingers skipped over her neck to tangle into her short waves of tangerine hair. "I always thought your hair was so beautiful… The way it catches the sun and glows, like it's on fire," he breathed. When did his face get so close? It was angled, lips only centimeters from her own, those eyes sparkling like the sea at night.

_Fire… _she thought distantly. He looked her face up and down, always trailing to her bangs peeking above the top of the cat mask. "So gorgeous," he breathed as he continued to stroke her hair. "An orange fire, the color of a desert sunset…" _Fire… Desert… _Her mind was hazed, drunk on his innocent touches, but somehow the pieces finally clicked in her mind.

"_**Ace**_?!"

"Took ya long enough," he laughed good-naturedly. Nami's face was the desert now, bright red sand and burning heat. She gulped loudly as she just stared stupidly at him. What were the chances of meeting him, of all people, on the Island that Never Sleeps, of all places?! Now it was painfully clear why she had been so at ease and willing to go along with his playful goading; it was Ace, for crying out loud! Oh, the fact that it was him and not a _stranger_ flirting with her was definitely doing some kinds of things to her. She wriggled in his grasp, not necessarily trying to escape but just suddenly very hyper-aware of her dress hugging her slim body.

"Ace… What are you doing here? I thought you were looking for Blackbeard."

"I am. I caught wind he stopped here for some shady business dealings." Of course. With all this frivolity and wealth, there was no question there was a seedy underbelly. "I've been party-hopping trying to gather information. From what I've heard, he's already left. Just missed him. He went to a neighboring island to keep from attracting the Marines' attention."

"If you know all this, why are you still here? Shouldn't you go after him?"

"Well, I was," he shrugged, then flashed her a wolfish grin. "But then I saw you…" Nami gulped again as the fire brightened in her cheeks. His face was still that close, his whispered words just barely preventing their lips from touching. She found that hers were tingling with the anticipation and desire of it. It didn't make much sense, really. Their time in Alabasta had been dreadfully short, certainly not long enough to develop any meaningful relationships… But Nami would be remiss to deny that she wasn't attracted to him. He wasn't only physically attractive, but there was just something so magnetic about his personality. Nami had thought about him since then, wondering if he was safe in his search of Blackbeard… Wishful thinking, wondering if once all was said and done if he would come back to Luffy and join his crew instead, even though she knew damn well that he was loyal to Whitebeard completely.

She didn't realize tears had bubbled up in her eyes until he was sweeping the rough pad of his thumb over her cheeks, catching them as they fell.

"That's not fair," she growled at him. She was angry, and sad, and happy, and all kinds of things that made her mind a confused, combative mess. "You can't just show up here, and say these kinds of things, and expect me to just watch you leave never knowing when I'll see you again. _That's not fair_." They had stopped dancing and were just standing in the middle of the floor. Her posture was rigid; all her muscles were screaming to wrench and twist out of his arms, but there was a part of her that relished his hold on her, the way their burning skin touched and send signals propagating across her nerves like fireworks. "Ace, dammit, I- _nnnngh_!" she finished off with a frustrated grunt, because she really wasn't sure what she wanted to say. She was most definitely confusing physical attraction with love, because she couldn't possibly love him. But her heart was aching, as it had been with the "what if" hovering over her head ever since Alabasta, and she wanted to both slap him silly and grab him by the front of that stupid hot tuxedo and kiss him until she wasted sure what he tasted like anymore, and surely that was love, wasn't it? Nami did know, and that made her cry more, because she knew whatever the case, she was _still_ going to have to watch him go.

"Nami," he sighed, both his hands holding her flushed cheeks now. They were so warm. So comforting. She leaned into his touch, eyes closing and pushing more tears down her already tear-stained face. Her emotions going from zero to one hundred almost instantaneously left her weak and she stumbled into him, her feeble hands digging into the front of his tuxedo. His broad frame supported her shaking body as she looked pleadingly up at him.

"Why are you doing this? Why would you _do_ this to me? Of all the selfish, mean, conceited-!" She began punctuating each insult with slamming her balled fists into his chest. "Egotistical, self-centered, cruel, _selfish_-!" After she had rattled off at least a dozen insults, he grabbed her wrists and jerked them up to his face, staring pointedly at her as he held them.

"I know, Nami. It's not fair," he conceded with a heavy sigh. Oh, no, she didn't want that sad look on his face. She would take it all back. She didn't mean it, because God, she had never seen such a broken man before. "It's not fair, and it's selfish, but I've thought of you every single day since I left that desert." He kissed her right fist, then the left, lips lingering on her knuckles as his face scrunched up in pain. "Every _single_ day," he whispered again, and she almost wailed in dismay as his voice cracked. "I know it's not right. I never should've approached you at that damn fondue fountain. I should've just left you none the wiser, because it's _not right_, saying all these things to you and then leaving. But I just… In that moment… I didn't think I could go on like that, with just a memory to love…" He was crying too. She could tell by the thickness in his voice, and the tremble in his hand as he took a piece of her tangerine hair, her hair like the desert sunset bright and blazing, between his thumb and forefinger. She leaned forward, pressing the forehead of her mask against his and wishing that those stupid pieces of plastic weren't between them.

"Well," she said in a shaky, shuddering breath, "I guess if you're selfish then I'm selfish too." Before he could look at her in confusion, she slapped her hands against his cheeks and yanked his head down to draw him into a burning, sloppy, desperate kiss. His hands were still wrapped around her wrists and they squeezed so hard she thought he might snap the bones, but then her hands were free because his hands had a bruising grip on her hips, tugging her closer. Every inch of her melted over him, her body burning and molding like lava fresh from a volcano. Ace wasted no time in shoving his tongue into her mouth and Nami welcomed it, swirling it feverishly with his. He tasted like that chocolate-covered strawberry with mute tones of punch, and it had her reeling. She groaned as her knees buckled beneath her but his sturdy body and harsh grip kept her from collapsing. "Ace-" she gasped, jerking back, but his face insistently chased hers to reclaim her lips with furious fervor. "_Ace_-!" she repeated adamantly, once more jerking her face away from him despite how much she would like to keep on. "We're in the middle of the ballroom; we can't keep making out like this!" she whispered harshly. She could already feel prickling gazes on them.

"Fine," he said gruffly. She squeaked in surprise as he grabbed her by the wrist and began dragging her off the dance floor in the direction of a hallway she knew led to private rooms. Her face blazed with blush at the obvious insinuations. She stumbled over her heels, legs jellified after the intense kiss, and couldn't even find the words to explain that they should probably part ways before it got too heated… Did she even _want_ to explain, though?

The thick plush carpet muffled the frantic clacking of her heels. Once he had hauled her around the corner he was on her again, pushing her up against one of the doors and hands slamming into the hard mahogany on either side of her waist. Nami moaned into the hot, open-mouthed kiss, prompting his tongue to tango fervently with hers again. Her hands jumped into his thick, curly brown hair, scratching at his scalp as she fisted the strands. Frustrated with the constant clinking of the plastic, he growled and wrenched her white-and-orange kitty mask off, chucking it down the hallway as if it had offended him. Nami's constant ministrations in his hair loosened the small string securing it around his head, and eventually it snapped, sending it bouncing off her heaving chest to fall forgotten to the floor. "You're so… fucking… _beautiful_," he snarled affectionately as he grabbed her jaw to angle her head, other hand in her fiery red hair again. All Nami could do was clutch onto him as he lavished pent-up affections onto her, a desert sky slowly being tinted red by the burning intensity of a dying sun.

She squeaked as his thick arms suddenly yanked under her thighs to hook her legs around her waist. As they snapped close around his hips, he pushed her into the door, and she could feel his rigid abdominals flexing with every intense move of his body.

"Ace, the door, the _door_," she groaned as she was crushed between the wood and him. She heard him scrabble at the metal for a minute before it finally clicked and the door fell away from behind her, making her jump back into open air. His arms wrapped around her back to pull her back into that hungry kiss. He stumbled over the threshold, kicking a few times until he found the door and successfully shut it. Nami felt all the hair on her body rise as she heard the switch of the lock. He didn't bother switching on the light or the lamp; the moonlight and lights of thousands of surrounding castle windows was plenty enough to illuminate Ace's way. He carried her over the bed and they both fell into it, his heavy weight sinking her down into the mattress as he all but fell on top of her. If she had any breath, it would've been forced out of her, but she was already reeling from the intoxicating, dizzying kiss that he kept greedily sucking her into.

All of his actions up until then had been feverish and desperate, nearly battering Nami with their intensity, but suddenly, his touch was soft as he pulled back and ran the pad of his thumb over her bruised lips. She gazed at him through lidded eyes as he dipped down to drop soft kisses along her neck, and she automatically craned her head to give him unrestricted access. His hands roamed up and down the side of her body, as if he were committing her curves to memory. His lips painted across her neck and across her collarbone then back up the other side of her neck in a circuit, before finally arriving back at her waiting mouth. The kiss this time was soft, gentle, yet somehow more passionate than the ten minutes they had just spent tearing at one another. Her eyes fluttered shut as she could only yield to its feeling.

"I love you, Nami. I mean it. I really do," he whispered against her mouth as his hands rubbed circles into both of her thighs, exposed with how the fabric of her long dress had bunched around her hips. "Don't ask me how. It's stupid, falling in love with someone you barely know, but I-"

"Hey," she said, opening her eyes to catch his unsure face in her hands. She smiled sweetly at him. "I don't care how it happened. All I care about is what you're gonna _do_ about it." Her eyes glittered as she all but challenged him. A roguish smile flashed on his lips and he crawled further up her body, her legs angling as he kept them pinned to his waist.

"You truly are a seductive, _devious_ woman."

"Part of my charm, right?" she purred. Her eyes searched his face, recording where each of his little brown freckles were located. He didn't make any move to kiss her again, allowing her to do so. Her finger came up to start connecting them like a constellation. "Can I ask you something?"

"Hmm?"

"Will you keep being selfish?" She wanted him to. She knew he had to leave, and he probably wouldn't even be there in the morning. He would probably dip out as soon as she fell asleep, resuming his hunt for Blackbeard. She knew that was his duty and she would never ask him to forsake that. She would never ask him to forsake Whitebeard, either, because she knew what it meant to be loyal to someone. No, she would never ask that of him… "Will you be selfish, and not forget about me, even if our paths go two totally different ways?" He smiled warmly as he ran the tip of his nose along her jawline, dropping kisses onto her flushed skin all the while.

"Of course, Nami," he breathed into her ear before kissing her temples. His lips lingered in her sunset hair for a long while as he struggled with the emotions that were threatening to spill over. "I'll come for you," he told her suddenly. "I'll come back. Somehow, someday, I dunno when. But I'll never forget, not ever." He pulled back to look down at her, burning honesty in his eyes. She wrapped her arms loosely around his neck, fingers twisting around his slightly sweaty brown locks.

"Okay. Then that's enough. Now get down here and kiss me." He chuckled slightly and did as bid, and her eyes fell closed again as she savored his lips rolling over hers, dripping with love that should not be but was present nonetheless…

Sometimes, things don't work out like you want them to. That was a hard lesson that Nami learned, the day she read that newspaper and that one night of passion flashed in her mind like the spinning reel of a movie. Every kiss, every touch, every breathy declaration of feeling… They burned bright in her memory, like the desert sun doomed eternally to hover just above the horizon, forbidden to sink and disappear no matter how much it wanted to. She crushed that paper to her chest as the tears streamed down her cheeks, but he wasn't there to wipe them away that time. They just fell, two rivers of clear water unable to cease flow.

But Nami was selfish, and she never forgot. Not ever. Even though it hurt like hell. Because sometimes the memories most worth keeping did.


	73. Together

Category: Mild Romantic Fluff

Characters: Monkey D. Luffy, Nami

Requested by: deliathedork (Tumblr)

"Seriously?" Nami grumbled as she stood in the middle of the pathway leading into the secluded bamboo grove that was currently serving as the Straw Hat-Mink-Samurai alliance's makeshift base. It was a-hustle and a-bustle with activity; the samurai were hacking away at the perimeter of the clearing to expand the small space, barrels of regional sake were being rolled in and stacked up higher than Big Mom, a great fat boar was roasting over a spitfire, and long wooden tables they had hauled in from the nearest village were being arranged in a circle around the clearing. A great big party was under preparation, and it had Nami questioning the logic of their collective. Parties in and of themselves were fine- the Straw Hats were quite known for raucous parties. It's just that Nami didn't think getting absolutely sloshed the eve before a war to decide the fate of a country was that smart.

"Seriously," she repeated, louder. "Are you guys really doing this? We are about to go to war against not one but _two_ Emperors!" She stamped her sandaled foot into the sandy ground to emphasize her disapproval. "Can't the party wait until after, you know, we make sure we _live_?!"

"But if we _don't_ live, we at least had a good time the night before, right?" Zoro said nonchalantly as he rolled a barrel of sake past her. Her mouth dropped open at the utter incredulity of his statement. Shaking her fist angrily at him, she screamed, "Idiot! Getting absolutely hammered will _severely_ decrease our chances of survival. You're all insane! _Insane_!" Zoro just ignored her, sweat rolling off his broad muscles as he stacked the barrel of alcohol with the rest. Nami rolled her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose, feeling a dull headache starting in the base of her skull. _These morons will be the death of me… _she groaned inwardly.

"Nami, why are you stressing so much?" As she opened her eyes, she squeaked; Luffy had suddenly materialized in front of her and was squishing both her cheeks with the flats of his palms. He grinned widely with a snicker. "It's gonna be fine! Promise! Let loose a little." Nami wanted to grumble that no, it was _not_ going to be fine, they were in for the fight of their lives, but Luffy had already scampered off to drool at the roasting meat. Nami watched with a defeated expression as he tried to pluck off a bit of the half-cooked roast and Sanji had to beat him off with a metal spoon. _Do I really have the only functional brain cell in this entire alliance? _She wondered pathetically as her shoulders slumped in surrender. She had no choice but to let the fools have their party, she guessed.

_Zoro's right. At least I'll get to enjoy some booze before I die, _she sniffed with a wallowing moan before shambling over to help Robin set the long tables for dinner.

* * *

By the time the moon was slung low in the dark night sky, the party was in full swing. The roasted pig was gutted and no more than a few scraps of meat on sharp white bones, sitting on the central table garnished with a bed of greens. The wooden table was slick with food particles and spilled alcohol, and the air was roaring with laughter and drunken conversation. At the center of the clearing the fire was roaring, flames licking at the sky as the red-orange flames continued to climb higher and higher like they were fueled by all the excitement. Nami sat with her back against the edge of the table, swirling around a cup of sake in her hand with no care to consume it. Try as she might, her anxiety was still prevalent, if not worsened by all the noise and activity. The looming morrow prickled at the back of her brain like a beast with sharp claws that had it in its grip and was toying with her until it sunk its jaws into her spine and snapped her neck, just like that.

At the very least, the others were having fun. Zoro was currently drinking samurai after samurai under the table; his face wasn't even pink yet, but he had cleared at least two barrels of sake by himself. Some of the local village girls had snuck up to the encampment to try and woo some of the young bachelors, and so Sanji was making his rounds flirting with reckless abandon. Robin and Franky were deep in conversation on the edge of the clearing, with Robin cradling a sleeping Toko and Chopper in her lap. Usopp was standing on one of the tables regaling the samurai and Minks with his totally made-up tales; every so often, his yarns would send a burst of laughter rippling through the night air like a bellowing gale. Carrot was partying with her Mink brethren, telling them of the current affairs of Zou. Brook was sawing away at his violin, the tinny music blending well with the ambient atmosphere of activity. Luffy was perched at one of the tables taking down foe after foe in arm wrestling competitions.

Nami sighed deeply and set the cup of sake on the table. She wasn't going to drink it. Her belly was churning with worry, and alcohol would only upset her stomach worse. Quietly, she got up and slipped through the crowd, attracting no attention to herself as she exited the small clearing to walk a ways down the dirt path leading to the alliance hideaway. The raucous conversation and roaring fire and Brook's violin all faded into a dull hum in the background. The fireflies were out tonight, and though normally she would be soothed by the presence of their bobbing little behinds, she was not comforted in her anxious state. They made bile bubble up in her esophagus, as they almost seemed like spirits and wisps floating around her, a grisly visual of the amount of death and bloodshed to come with the dawn.

Her knees began to weaken with mounting emotion, so she stumbled over to a nearby rock and plopped down on it. Her chest was growing tight and painful, like it was being squeezed in a vice. _Am I having a panic attack? _She wondered pitifully as she doubled over, hands against her hammering heart. A few tears leaked out of her watering eyes to roll down her paling face. Gingerly, she rocked herself back and forth on the rock, whispering to herself that it was going to be all right.

Nami got like this from time to time. She didn't mean to. She had faith in her friends, for sure; they had been through thick and thin together, and every single time, Luffy always beat the odds. Still, despite the pattern, Nami's brain refused to correlate the events; it always nagged at her in the dark of night, whispering ill omens and gruesome possibilities. Nami treasured her crewmates more than anything she had in a long, long time, and the idea of losing them terrified her, _every single time_.

The fireflies were oblivious to her whimpers and sniffles as she wallowed alone on the little rock. _It'll be fine. We'll get through this. It'll be fine. No one will die, _she kept reminding herself. For some reason, this night she was having trouble winding herself down from the emotional peak. Her tongue burned with the bitter acid of terror and the tears started rolling faster down her cheeks. Her mind began to swim with paranoia; what was that shadow? Had all the noise attracted the attention of the enemy? What if someone in the nearby village sold them out? Oh God. Where was her Climatact? Her hands fumbled for the bo staff holstered at her waste; her fingers felt like fat sausages, clumsy and smeared with grease. She sat bolt upright, the stark whites of her eyes glowing in the moonlight and her fear-shrunken irises glared within. They frantically searched the bamboo, just knowing something was out there ready to tear her to pieces.

"Nami?"

The redhead all but leaped off the rock to dash up the path and throw herself at Luffy as he came plodding down. He cried out as she latched her arms around her middle and buried her face into his sternum, and he instinctively grabbed her by her upper arms. She was quivering so violently that it made his body tremble, too. "Hey! Nami, what's the matter?" he asked worriedly. "Did something scare you?"

"S-something… Something in the dark…" she whimpered. She had almost been reduced to the mentality of a small child who could not bear to look under her bed for fear of red eyes glaring back at her. Luffy grunted curiously and looked at the bamboo lining the path.

"Hmm… I don't sense anything with my Haki, Nami. Did you imagine it?" _Of course. Of course I imagined it. _It made her both relieved and embarrassed. How could she sit there and have a full-on panic attack over nothing? She continued to hug Luffy's body, letting his body heat pulse through her and chase away the negative feelings roiling within her. He made her feel safe… secure… like everything really would be all right. "Nami? Do you want to talk about it?" he asked her, sliding his thick arms around her to hold her in a gentle embrace. "Don't worry! I won't let any monsters getcha out here! _Shishishishi_!" Nami had to smile at his Luffy-esque manner of cheering her up. She turned her head so that her cheek was laying against his muscular chest, blinking away the tears still stubbornly clinging to her thick eyelashes.

"… I'm scared, Luffy. I'm _very_ scared." He took a minute to respond.

"Are you still worried about tomorrow?"

"Mhmm." She felt him cock his head to the side as he considered her statement. She was beginning to wonder if perhaps she should go into more detail when he abruptly locked his hand around one of her wrists and took off running back towards the encampment, dragging her along. "I-! What-? Luffy, no! What are you doing?" she cried in dismay. All she got as an answer was his laughter blending with the wind rushing past her ears. Her nervous sweat returned with a fervor. Didn't he get it? She didn't want to go back to the party! It was all too much, a sensory overload exacerbating her anxieties. Oblivious it seemed, Luffy hauled her back into the bamboo grove and right up to one of the wooden tables.

"'Scuse me," he grunted as he swept all the cups and plates and food down with a beefy arm. With a quiet "hup!" he climbed up to stand on the wooden surface, pulling Nami up with him. She was panting and sweating from both her roiling emotions and the feverish run, so she could only stand there and catch her breath. "'Ey, Brook! Let's get some real tunes goin', yeah?" he hollered to the skeleton with an airy laugh. Brook waved his bony fingers with a trilling "Yohohoho!" before sawing his bow across the violin in a rapid, bouncy tune. The samurai and pirates began clapping their hands and stamping their feet at Brook's direction. Just as Nami was recovering and about to chastise Luffy for his inconsideration, he rolled the sleeves of his kimono up and grinned widely at her. "Hey, Nami, watch this."

Instinctively, she looked down as he began striking the heels and toes of his feet against the wood in a complicated pattern. She recognized it as a form of dance characteristic to lower-class parties; she had seen some of the men of Cocoyashi have competitions at parties and festivals when she was little.

"I picked it up in your hometown!" he grinned breathlessly at her. Something about that made Nami's face soften and her anxieties begin to melt away. Luffy sure had a unique way of comforting people, indeed. He stopped after a minute and crossed his arms with a challenging look. "I bet even though you're from Cocoyashi you can't do better!" Nami's nerves tickled at the brazen contest. Sniffing in contempt, she hiked up the hem of her kimono and kicked off her sandals, putting all those years of memory to use by giving Luffy a show. His grin widened as she danced around in a circle, heels hitting the wood in a fervent beat, before she threw her skirts down and glared at him.

"Your turn, _Captain_." Luffy only laughed good-naturedly at the haughty venom lacing her voice. Sticking his tongue out of the side of his lips, he set to attempting to best Nami in the dance rhythm. They went back and forth like that for a few rounds, attracting the members of the alliance around the table; they hooted and hollered encouragement and bets. Though she had found the raucousness grating only twenty minutes before, Nami now found it absolutely invigorating. Her veins now sang with the electric solution of exhilaration and adrenaline. The soles of her feet struck the flat top of the table in tune with their rhythmic claps and stamps. Very soon she and Luffy were performing in tandem, complimenting one another rather than competing. Holding up the hems of their clothes, they matched each other's steps while dancing in a circle across the table; round and round they went, the dull strikes of their heels and tones lifting up the high-pitched squeals of Brook's violin. Nami began to laugh breathlessly with enjoyment as the pH of her blood reached a critical point of bliss. In that moment, it was just herself and Luffy embroiled in that fervent dance, and nothing can reach her.

"Hey, Nami!" Luffy shouted at her. He didn't give her time to respond before lunging forward to lock his hands around hers, the big rough palms dwarfing her own. Grinning mischievously, he suddenly tipped himself backwards, and Nami had to do the same in order to counter-balance the force.

"Hey, Luffy, what-? Oh, no, no you don't!" she cried when he realized what exactly he was doing.

"Here we gooooooo!" he laughed and began running to the side. Because of Nami balancing him out, her feet were forced to move too. Their arms locked together in the center was all she could focus on. The world was whirling around her as they spun with centrifugal force, just flashes of firelight and bright colors against a dark backdrop. Luffy's beaming face was clear across from hers, too, and she fixated on it as she could not help but laugh at the kiddishness of what they were doing. "Ahhhhhh! Whoaaaaaa!" he yelled at her with glee, and the silly sound effects just made her laugh more.

Right about when her head began to swim with dizziness, she gradually slowed to a halt, and it took her knees a minute to readjust and stiffen back up. She collapsed into him a little, breathily chuckling, and his big arms wrapped around her in a light hug. "Nami," he said softly, and she looked up to see him smiling sweetly down at her. "You don't need to worry about tomorrow. We sailed onto this island together, and we're sailing off it together, too." Nami's eyes widened slightly for a second, but then her face melted like warm marshmallow, molding into a genuinely reassured smile. Of course. She had nothing to fear at all.

"Thank you, Luffy," she said and pressed herself against him, burying her head into his shoulder to savor his comforting presence. His muscly arms held her like they would never relinquish her, a broad hand rubbing concentric circles between her shoulderblades. He propped his chin on her head with an almost possessive grunt. Then his head tipped down and she felt his mouth pushing down on her tangerine hair to whisper against her scalp.

"You're my navigator, remember? You're gonna make a map of the world, and I'm gonna make it happen. I ain't gonna go dyin' on ya, and I ain't gonna let you die, either." Her lips folded in on themselves as grateful tears prickled at her eyes. She was too choked up to respond, so she just nodded feebly. Her fingers curled into the thick fabric of his kimono in a white-knuckled grip. Suddenly, one of his hands slipped under her chin to push her face up and make her look at him. He had that serious look on his face that she knew all too well. "We're in this _together_."

_Together… _the word bounced around in her head for a few seconds. Why had she insisted on slinking off by herself to cower in fear all this time? She had her comfort right here in front of her… Her rock, the person she looked to when the odds seemed insurmountable and somehow flooded her with hope. Her lips curled up into a smile.

"Yeah… Together."

"Great!" he beamed with a boyish snicker. "Now, enjoy the party, Nami!" His arms fell away from her and he went to step down, but she jumped forward to wrap her slim arms resolutely around the meat of his bicep. "Eh…?"

"No," she said firmly, frowning at him. His eyes were blank and owlish as he gawked at her. She then giggled and smiling widely at him. "Let's enjoy it _together_!" He blinked slowly at her, then began laughing animatedly.

"Yeah! Let's go, Nami!" he grinned. Her hands slid down the rugged contours of her arm until one interlocked with his, and he pointedly enlaced their fingers. Nami looked down at their links hands with a soft smile, trusting him to guide her as he pulled her off the table.

_Together… Into any future. _That thought might scare people, but not Nami, not now. It didn't scare her, because she had Luffy by her side, and he was her shining lighthouse that illuminated even the darkest, blackest seas. _Together… To dawn, and onward. _


	74. Yours, Mine, Ours

Category: Romantic Fluff

Characters: Trafalgar Law, Nami

Requested By: anubislover (Tumblr)

Nami's eyes were gently closed as she took a long moment to savor the melodic crashing of the waves upon the shore and the way the frothy, foamy waters repeatedly splashed up around her ankles and lower calves. Her yellow sundress fluttered about her knees as the sea breeze continuously caught the fabric, melding it against her body like it was liquid rather than solid cloth. She wiggled her toes into the wet sand, feeling it squish between the digits, and a serene smile washed over her lips with a successive cresting of the waves. The sea truly was her great true love…

But not her _greatest_.

"Nami." Her head automatically lolled a bit as his voice danced up the ever-shifting wind. He really had such a _beautiful_ voice… deep, sultry, as melodic as the waters crashing about her legs. It never failed to send pleasurable tingles through every nerve she possessed. She did not move from her position but remained within the wind and waves' gentle embraces. She could hear the sand crunching softly under his bare feet as he approached her; there was no need to move. Her lips curled higher upon her cheeks as his muscular arms wound loosely around her waist and he pressed his face into her neck to drop little kisses along her jugular, his dark goatee tickling the sensitive flesh there. "I'm guessing a tropical island getaway is just what the doctor ordered?" Law purred, and she didn't have to look into his golden eyes to know they were glimmering with deep satisfaction.

"Way to gloat," she scoffed in mock disdain while her hand instinctually rose to flutter about the defined edges of his tattooed arms. It _had_ been Law's idea to stop at the uninhabited summer island they had just happened to spot on the map, so she supposed _some_ credit was due. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction of admitting that aloud, however. He snorted into her neck, and the puff of his hot breath over her skin made her purr and arch back into his body. Though he was only holding her and nuzzling into her neck a bit, the man still had the uncanny ability to play her body like an expert musician. Ever the cunning man, the Surgeon of Death. His incendiary wiles and self-confident smirk were but two of the many, many reasons she loved him with every fiber of her being.

One of her hands jumped up to push his fluffy, spotted white hat off his head to cord through the messy raven strands situated beneath. A purr rumbled in the column of his throat and he ran the tip of his nose up her pulsing vein before pressing a lingering, sweet kiss to her temporomandibular joint. "Although, I do admit that this is very nice," she relented after enduring his ministrations for a few more seconds, as it was obvious that he wanted some sort of answer. The smirk she gave him was no less than tongue-in-cheek as she finally opened her eyes halfway to gaze at him. The sunlight just looked marvelous on his tanned skin, making it glow the hue of rich amber. His golden eyes glinted like they were made of the hot rays themselves as he grinned against the slope of her jawline.

"I'm very glad to hear that, Nami." He had dropped the honorific a long time ago. Law and Nami had been together for two years now and had witnessed the upheaval as the world as they knew it together. Law had never left the alliance with Luffy, instead sailing alongside him until journey's end. Though he, as had the rest of the Supernovas, had touted that he was going to claim the mantle of Pirate King for himself, by the time they had reached Laugh Tale, he had long since decided that he was going to let Luffy ascend the imaginary throne himself. Law had discovered a much more valuable treasure for the taking instead- a certain fiery redheaded navigator.

Like a lithe big cat lazily toying with its prey, he straightened up so his face could instead consort with her salt-kissed waves of tangerine hair. Nami's hand slid to the back of his neck, idly playing with the little curly hairs there while he rained kisses against her plush strands. It was rare that Law was so openly affectionate, but then again, they were alone. The two captains still had plenty of adventure remaining in their systems and so had taken to sailing around the rest of the seas to see what trouble they could get into, and currently, the _Polar Tang_ and _Thousand Sunny_ were moored on the other side of the island. Their crews were likely cutting up and acting a fool together, but Law had spirited Nami away to the other side for some much-needed quality time.

Indeed, just what the doctor ordered…

"You're in a good mood," she remarked with a small chuckle as his hands began roaming up and down the curves of her body and his mouth trailed back down to the connection of her jawline and ear. His lips curled into that smirk she knew oh so well and his gleaming eyes laughed back at her.

"Would you rather me be grumpy?"

"You know that's not what I meant," she laughed lightly and looked back at the crashing waters. The sun was setting, and yellow-gold was bleeding across the water below the horizon like a growing puddle of paint. Rich oranges and reds blossomed around the bubbling white sun as it was slowly overtaken by the horizon. The clouds were like globs of lavender and purple cotton candy floating in the upper atmosphere, and in the glimpses of violet night sky Nami could already see a few stars sparkling into existence. As she sighed in contentment, she bonked her head lightly against Law's. "It's a beautiful sunset, isn't it?"

"Doesn't compare to the sunset I see every day," he remarked while holding up a thick swathe of her tangerine-hued hair. Nami felt a blaze of blush bloom over her cheeks at the off-handed compliment; even now, two years into their courtship, he could still so easily fluster her with comments that just rolled off his tongue like oozing honey. His eyebrows jumped a little with the satisfaction that he had indeed disquieted her.

"Yes, Law, it was smooth. Congratulations," she huffed, trying to save face but blushing more with the realization she had to try and seem unperturbed at all. His chuckle was low and rumbling as he hugged her tighter against his body, grinning like a Cheshire cat. His long fingers toyed with the bouncy curled ends of her hair with sluggish abandon. Nami allowed her eyes to flutter shut once more so she could savor the soft caresses he delivered to her body, like he was a reverent king worshipping his radiant queen. She chuckled a little at the image of Law with a jeweled crown on his head rather than his signature hat; he looked more the picture of a disrespectful, moody prince than a lordly king.

"What's so funny?" breathed in her ear while his hands locked around her waist, slowly but adamantly turning her body such that she would face him. Nami resisted not his silent command, only adjusted her arms so that they were loosely wound about his neck. She opened her eyes to smirk at him coyly again, meeting his curious and loving gaze.

"You're doting on me too much."

"I think I'm doting on you a reasonable amount, considering how gorgeous you are." He punctuated the retort with a generous squeeze of her rear thigh. Nami's eyebrows shot up her forehead at the completely unbridled flirtation, while Law just smirked devilishly as if that was all he needed to satiate her. Well, he wasn't wrong. Suddenly, he was leaning forward to press his forehead affectionately to hers, golden irises shining into her own warm brown depths. "I love you," he breathed suddenly, longingly, like he was missing her even though she was right there in his arms. Nami was about to inquire what brought it on when suddenly he was reaching up to pull her left arm down, and she gasped when she felt cold metal meet the tip of her ring finger. He tilted his head a little, lips ghosting over her own as he pushed the engagement ring down to her knuckle. "Marry me, Nami. Be mine for the rest of time."

Nami didn't know how the girls in all the stories did it, how they just screamed and started yelling, "Yes, yes, of course I will!" because a great big lump forming in her throat choked any response she could have made. She exhaled shakily as she looked down at the glittering diamond ring adorning her left third ringer, and then her heart swelled up twice the size of the blockage in her trachea because the diamond was styled in the shape of a little tangerine. She sniffed and let out a miserable-sounding coo as she admired the way the last glimmers of the sunlight refracted off the diamond's crystalline edges. Her mind was traveling a hundred miles a second and yet frozen in place, leaving her rigid and unable to do anything but stare at the engagement ring with all the love in the world and more. "Nami?" The creeping fear in Law's voice finally unstuck her gunked-up engine of a brain. "If-"

"Yes!" she interrupted quickly. Her head shot up to look at him again, but too fast, and the crown of her head collided with the underside of his jaw. She cringed both at the blossom of pain that bloomed over her scalp and the distinct clacking of his teeth slamming together. He groaned loudly and slapped his hands to his mouth while Nami's mouth dribbled with apologies and her hands fluttered around his head to pull it down. Once of his eyes was squeezed shut while the other brimmed with a few tears from the sharp pain no doubt fireworking in his jaw, and Nami suddenly had to laugh at the ridiculousness of it all. Of course she couldn't have a normal marriage proposal. Slowly, she was able to pull his hands away from his mouth, snorting at the bright red mark peeking up from beneath the fuzzy edges of his goatee. "Yes," she repeated softly and placed both her hands on his cheeks. A small smirk slowly spread over his lips.

"I thought you might hit me, but not like that," he joked. Nami snorted in self-derision and hung her head, but he caught her underneath her chin and slowly lifted her face. His golden eyes blazed with a topaz fire as the last rays of the sun glinted off them, and it was the last thing Nami saw before she closed her eyes while his face descended over hers. He kissed her like he had a thousand times before, but yet it was altogether _new_, exciting and riveting with the realization that he was now kissing her as his future bride. Nami hummed contentedly as his mouth moved hungrily over hers. She felt his love with every brushing of their soft, salt-kissed lips. _Yes, _Nami reaffirmed in her head. _Yes, I'll be yours, forever and always and for all eternity… _

By the time he pulled away from her, the sun's light had vanished from the earth and it was time for the moon to make herself known. Law's skin was a light cocoa color as it was basked in the soft white light, but oddly it made his golden eyes glow all the brighter, like bits of topaz embedded within white opals. His hands were slowly running up and down her arms as he admired her like she was the most sublime creature to ever have graced him. "Straw Hat-ya will likely come looking for us soon…" There was a hesitation in his voice, like he knew it was true but didn't want it to be. Nami certainly didn't want to cut the moment short.

"I think we can keep him waiting a little while longer," she responded with a suggestive bump of her hips against his. His eyes widened a little and he looked around as if making sure they were indeed alone. Poking the tip of her tongue out of her lips, she shrugged his arms off and unabashedly wrenched her dress up her body by the hem, exposing a black bikini. As Law sputtered unsure warnings, she threw the orange dress aside and looked at him like Aphrodite would her mortal prey. Then, giggling, she whirled on her feet to splash out into the surf. "I say we go for a swim!"

It took a few moments to register that he had just been had by the devious woman. She was already thigh-deep in the water before he yelled after her, "Nami! It's nighttime; the sharks'll be out!" Nami, her form cast in a white glow by the blanket of moonlight, leaned over to begin splashing toward him in the surf.

"Oh, come now; you'll have bigger risks to take marrying me than a few sharks!" she called back teasingly and then winked. "Besides, if a shark bites me, you can kill it and reattach my limb anyway!"

"You've been hanging out with Robin-ya too much, joking like that," she heard him groan from the shore. She squealed victoriously as he pulled his tee shirt over his head to reveal his gloriously sculpted and tattooed body and tossed it on top of her shirt and then waded out into the water, joining her out in the rolling waves. She was back in his arms again no sooner than he had joined her, pressing herself against him as the water slid between their connected bodies.

"You regretting it yet?" she cooed playfully as she stretched out her hand to admire the moonbeams playing over the diamond's surface. Law grunted in amusement and touched the tip of his nose to hers.

"I would never in a million years, Nami." The redhead smiled sweetly and laid her head on his shoulder, continuing to admire the engagement ring.

"That's good, 'cuz I could never imaging being anyone's but _yours_."

_Yours… Mine… __**Ours**__, _she thought satisfactorily as he held and caressed her amidst the great blue sea that had brought them together, many moons ago with a chance collision of great cresting waves…


	75. Bedside Manner

Category: Romantic Fluff

Characters: Trafalgar Law, Nami

Requested By: Anonymous User

"Nami!"

The redhead rose from her position of leaning over to prune the bottom branches of her tangerine trees as Chopper's squeaky voice floated up the steps. He was huffing and puffing a little when he finally mounted the final stair, and so he took a moment to regain his breath; Nami patiently waited for the winded reindeer to recover, snipping a few obvious errant leaves she had missed. "Ahem," Chopper coughed finally before giving her an inquisitive look. "Have you seen Law around anywhere?"

"As a matter of fact, I haven't. Lemme guess- the Surgeon of Death isn't keen on showing up for his doctor's appointment?" she sneered. The crew had finally reunited on Zou and were taking a few days to plan their next move, so Chopper had ordered each and every crew member to report for a regular check-up or assessment of the wounds they obtained in Dressrosa- whichever was applicable. Nami had reported for hers earlier that morning, preferring to attend to that issue before going about her early-morning routine of tending to her citrus plants. She had spied Chopper's schedule and taken note that one Trafalgar Law was next in line for assessment but telling from the concerned expression on their doctor's furry face, he was a no-show.

"I've searched the ship top-to-bottom but can't find him anywhere!" the blue-nosed animal pouted. A few more dark green clippings piled up around Nami's feet as she methodically trimmed away the last of the most obvious branches, then she scooped them up to toss them into the compost bin near her grove. She then set the shears aside to walk over to Chopper and pat him atop the head.

"Don't worry! Why don't you just proceed with your next patient, and I'll take care of Law for you." His beady eyes widened with reluctance. He uttered a few unsure remarks whilst tapping his little hooves together with nervous _clack_-_clack_-_clacks_, but Nami shushed him and spun him around to send him plunking back down the steps. "I'll come get you if I find anything I feel like needs an _expert_ opinion!" she called down after him. At the base of the staircase, Chopper turned around to blush bashfully up at her.

"Ah, there's no need to flatter me like that, bastard!" he giggled in false humbleness, but the stupid grin cheesing across his face was plenty evidence that her compliment overjoyed him. Nami watched the reindeer trounce back to his small office to see to the next patient on the list. After a moment of critically eyeing the door to ensure it would not open again for some time, she languidly turned on her heels to lean against the balustrade.

"The fee for hiding your lanky ass will be a hundred thousand Berries," she tutted and inspected her fingernails disparagingly. She clucked her tongue and began digging out a few specks of dirt from beneath the neat white crescent moons of her manicure, while the tangerine trees began to rattle wildly next to her. Law stepped out from within the grove to glower unapprovingly at her smirking form. As he began brushing discarded, half-dead tangerine leaves from his long coat, she eyed him with an incendiary smile. "Why're you hiding from Chopper, anyway? He's only looking out for you, you know." Law glanced at her with disdain, keeping his golden eyes locked on her curious and daring brown ones as he plucked a crumpled leaf from his shoulder and flicked it away.

"I don't need a check-up. I'm _also_ a doctor. I am fully capable of assessing my own health and injuries." His gaze dropped back down to his clothes to ensure that he had indeed removed all clinging citrus leaves from his coat, then rolled at Nami's insistent smirk. "If Raccoon-ya asks, I'm in perfect health," he asserted as he strolled past her. Nami let out a quick, "ah, ah, ah," under her breath and stepped behind him to daintily pull a leaf he had missed from just under his shoulder blade. His golden eyes watched her with a mixture of disdain and interest as she propped her elbow on his shoulder and spun the emerald-grin leaf in front of his face, the tip just barely brushing his lip every now and again. It was a suggestive move if there ever was one, and Nami meant _every_ implication.

She'd been interested in Law ever since Sabaody; there was just something so _electric_ about him that she couldn't help but be. She had assumed that's all it would ever be, simply a passing fancy, but lo and behold he turned up again to party with the Straw Hats for a while. Nami had immediately begun testing her feminine wiles on him, and it had been much to her glee that he had returned the favor with calculated snark and unspoken interest. They had been playing that cat-and-mouse game for quite some time now, and the navigator thought it high time to take it up a notch. She chuckled airily as his golden irises watched her slowly twist and turn the leaf in her prim fingers. "Do you have something you want to say, Nami-ya?" A low, sensual purr just barely containing a hint of invitation; it sent pleasurable shivers propagating up and down her spinal cord.

"You know I could never lie to sweet little _gullible_ Chopper," she crooned and flicked the leaf aside. She rested the flat of her hand on his broad shoulder and fluttered her eyelashes at him demurely. "So, take a seat!" He released a surprised grunt when she gripped him hard by the shoulders to spin him around and all but shove him over to the small wooden bench situated next to her tangerine grove. He stumbled over his long legs but managed to catch himself on the bench's arm, and she laughed as he shot her a censorious glare over his shoulder.

"Your bedside manner leaves much to be desired, Nami-ya," he tutted. She pouted at his slightly angry look, thinking for a moment that he wasn't in the mood to play with her that morning, but her lips gradually curled up into a satisfied smile when he obediently plopped down on the bench. Arms spread over the back, legs stretched out, and eyes glittering with wild novelty, he gave her a devilish smirk that practically screamed "_What are you waiting for?_" Her eyebrow quirked when his index finger curled in an inviting motion. "Well? You're a pretty shitty nurse so far. Sounds like Raccoon-ya needs to put out an ad," he teased with a chortle.

"Can't do much in the way of nursing if you don't take your shirt off, Law," she simpered in fake hurt. If the smirk he was wearing before was devilish, the one he gave her at that comment would have giving Satan a run for his money. His golden, burning eyes remained locked on her as he slowly, almost painfully so, shrugged out of his dark coat. It puddled to the wooden deck behind the bench and Nami couldn't help but bite down on her lip at the godly body that greeted her. Even with the lingering bandages wrapped around his torso and her considerable distance, she could identify every rugged contour of his muscles. Her fingers tingled with the desperate need to rake her nails down his washboard abs and maybe leave a couple more scratches behind; like he'd read her mind, Law grinned sardonically and Roomed a package of bandages into his hand. He waved them with another inviting curl of his finger.

"Why don't you be a dear and change my bandages for me?"

"With _pleasure_," she grinned and wasted no time in sashaying over to him. He kept his gaze locked on her, like he was thoroughly enjoying her changes in expression, as she daintily plucked the package of bandages from his upturned hand. It lazily flopped back down to his side, but he made sure to brush against her hip on the way down. The fleeting tongue made her body jolt expectantly, and she flushed pink at his satisfied chortle. _Dammit; I can't let him fluster me! Be saucy! _She commanded herself, focusing her rising nervous energy into ripping the plastic off the bandages. Recovering from the momentary lapse in her flirtatious persona, she gave him a saccharine-sweet smile before reaching out and unfastening the clip that held his bandages in place. They immediately loosened upon the release of tension, and Nami couldn't help but gulp a little as they fell away to reveal the wicked lacerations contained beneath.

They had been healing for days now and showed evidence of such, crusted blood and curing flesh, but they were still ghastly to behold. The circular wound ringing his right arm particularly disturbed her; it was painfully obvious his arm had been lopped off entirely and he had used his abilities to crudely reattach it. The corded muscle of his bicep was still peeking out of the scabbing epithelium and stitching, pink and oozing fluid as his body worked to repair the trauma. In a moment of concern and even a little morbid fascination, she timidly reached out to run her fingertips ever-so-softly over the marred skin.

"Oi. Don't go soft on me now, Nami-ya." He said "don't go soft," but his voice couldn't be described as anything but. He was looking down at her with a tiny smile on his face, one with a cruel hint of sadness. "Let it alone. You don't need to pity me. I got myself into that mess, and these are merely the price of getting myself out of it." Nami stared at him a moment, then wordlessly nodded; she wrapped a fresh bandage around his arm and gently secured it with a fastener. Even with the wound now concealed beneath the fresh white cloth, the image of the ghastly mutilation still burned within her mind. With a determined grunt, she slapped her cheeks a few times to refocus her attention to the matter at hand.

Blood-soaked, soiled bandages piled up on the bench beside him as Nami gently pried them off his body and set them aside. He procured a rag for her, which she wet with some water from her nearby watering can and cleaned off the grime and gunk with his chest as painlessly as she could. The encounter had started off as something flirtatious, but her mind was far from any deviousness upon seeing first-hand how injured Law really had been. Her change in attitude had muted him, and his stone-faced gaze yielded no insight into how he felt about it; he only grunted occasionally when the rag scraped over a particularly tender gash. Every time she would meekly mutter an apology and he would just look at her, something unknown burning in the depths of his golden irises.

She began winding the bandages around his chest. Every time she had to reach behind his back to bring them around, she had to lean close to his chest. Close enough to feel the warmth radiating off his tattooed, tan skin, close enough that when he breathed his chest brushed against her bust, close enough that she even imagined she could hear his slightly fast heartbeat. She chewed continuously on her bottom lip as she methodically recreated the bindings around his torso. Finally, after what seemed like hours, she applied a new fastener and she was finished. Mutely, she stared at the white canvas of wrappings, still haunted by the wounds they hid. "Hey…" his voice was but a whisper, and out of her periphery, she could see his hand approaching her face.

"You could've died." His hand stopped in mid-air with a fraught twitch. Her face sagged sadly as she reached out and traced over the gashes marring his chest; she already had committed them to memory. Of course, he could have died; they were always putting themselves into situations like that because they were pirates. However, seeing the sheer devastation his body had suffered disquieted her immensely. His hand, still hovering beside her face, slowly inched forward to rest against her cheek just as the tears spilled over the dam of her eyelids.

"Fuck, I never figured out how to handle crying women." His amused tone was strained, like he felt making light of the situation was all he could do but knew that wasn't the correct course of action. Nami just pitifully continued staring at the bandages; a few areas of pink were already appearing where the blood was leaching into the thick cloth. "Hey." His voice was commanding, and she subserviently followed the unspoken order, lifting her face to look up at him. "Really, your bedside manner is _terrible_. We _have_ to work on that." Despite herself, she couldn't help but snort in a little bit of laughter. He smiled a little in relief at her reaction.

"Guess I should've left the doctoring to Chopper after all," she sniffed with a teeny smile. His thumb circled the smooth skin of her cheek, catching the tears as they rolled down.

"Nah. As much as I like Raccoon-ya, I much prefer a hot redhead," he smirked, then frowned deeply. "Don't tell him I like him, either. I have a reputation to uphold."

"Okay, Mister Big _Bad_ Surgeon of Death," she sneered and stuck out the tip of her tongue at him. It marveled her how effortlessly he made her feel better. She had to give him credit; he knew her better than she had imagined. Now that her emotions were somewhat back in check, she realized her lower back muscles were beginning to burn terribly from stooping over so long, so she made to straighten back up. She yelped loudly when Law suddenly grabbed her by the hip and jerked her forward, making her fall onto him in a straddle.

"Nurse-yaaaa, don't go," he pleaded with a tone dripping with lasciviousness, "I thought you were going to take care of me?" She flushed as she tentatively put her hands on his shoulders, suddenly feeling out of control in the situation. _Damn him… He really can turn the situation at the drop of a hat. Speaking of hats_, she thought with a sly grin as she spied the fluffy one perched atop his head. Grinning as she regained some of her confidence, she plucked it off his head to drop it onto her waves of tangerine hair.

"Fine, but it'll cost you. My wages aren't cheap."

"I'm already one hundred thousand Berries in the hole; what's another couple hundred?" he snipped back playfully. A contented giggle bubbled up in her throat, and then she leaned close, bumping the tip of her nose against his.

"Kiss me already, before I start charging you for wasting my time, too," she challenged. Law rolled his eyes and muttered something once more about her terrible bedside manner, but then obediently leaned in to capture her lips in a searing kiss. Nami's eyes fluttered shut and she abandoned herself to the indescribable feeling of his lips moving rhythmically against her own, and his tongue sliding in to sweep hers up in a feverish dance. She sighed in contentment and sagged against him, savoring the feeling of his hands roaming her body.

Who knew a career as a nurse could be so lucrative? Nami might have to consider changing occupations. She certainly had a brilliant doctor who could teach her the intricacies of bedside manner…


	76. Deprived

Category: Romantic Fluff

Characters: Nami, Roronoa Zoro

Requested By: we-are-deathcleric (Tumblr)

The night air was cool on Nami's skin as she stepped out onto the main deck of the _Thousand Sunny._ She wriggled her toes in the grass blades that coated that level of the structure, enjoying the bracing chill clinging to the thin, soft slivers, before stepping a few paces out onto the deck. The door leading down to the bowels of the ship whined as it slowly closed, then shut with a light click. The sky was clear, not even the faintest wisp of a cloud, allowing the glittering stars and bright moon to shine down upon her in all their brilliance. Their collective light bathed the grassy deck in pearly white, making the blades shimmer with a white sheen that contained only the barest hint of pale green. Nami just stood there upon the deck, eyes closed and basking in the sound of gently sloshing waves.

Two years without the ocean's song had been a very long time. She hadn't even had the pleasure of traveling back to Saobody by sea, instead being delivered to her destination in one of Weatheria's signature hot air balloons. The floating island was much too far above sea level to hear the comforting splashes, no matter how far she leaned out of her window and strained to hear them. It felt to Nami that she had spent those two years in deafening silence, deprived of her lullaby, and now that she was once more among the rolling waves, the world was alive with a symphony of cacophonous serenade. Her head swayed side to side with the tune of the waters, then she soon began to hum along to its endless melody.

Oh, how she had missed the sea. Nami had been unable to sleep without properly savoring its continuous descant. She did not even have to peek over the balustrade to see it; midnight blue waters swelling with the wind's touch, white seafoam bubbling with its crest, before crashing into the wooden ship to crescendo up with magnificent spray not unlike a firework's crackles. Awash with the sea's music, Nami finally felt her restless bones begin to settle and calm seep into her nerves. She listened to the waves for a few moments more before forcing herself away; sleep was imperative, as now that the Straw Hats were reunited there was sure to be riotous adventure upon the coming day. She would feel much better embracing the tempest fresh-faced and well-rested.

A thumping noise halted her return to her quarters. It came from overhead, and she looked up to see lamplight burning from within the crow's nest. _Oh, right. Zoro is on watch tonight. _Her cheeks immediately began to burn with blush. The sea had not been the only thing she had missed…

All thoughts of sleeping left her mind. She found herself ascending the ladder to the bubble of a room tucked beneath their observation deck. The wind playfully nipped at her nightclothes, hugging them to her frame, as if scolding her for her midnight escapade. She looped her arm around the top rung to steady herself and pushed on the entrance hatch with the other; yellow light beamed down through the square hole to wash over her, and she pushed her head through to peer at Zoro, who was sitting a few feet away with one eyebrow raised.

"Mind if I join you?" Though he seemed momentarily surprised at her unannounced coming, it took him only a moment to shrug indifferently and resume sipping at the sake bottle in his hand and stare blankly at the rolling sea beyond the curving window. Nami wriggled herself up through the hatch and kicked it shut behind her, then crawled across the small space to perch beside the swordsman. She smiled as he offered her the bottle and took it graciously. After taking a healthy swig of the burning alcohol, she passed it back to him and leaned back on her hands.

"Shouldn't you be sleeping?" It was an accusatory question in nature, but his tone was largely apathetic. He didn't even glance at her upon asking but instead continued to gaze out to the sea with lidded eyes. Nami smiled amusedly and pushed herself further back on her hands before sighing, "I couldn't sleep without listening to the sea." His response was a dispirited grunt, followed by another large gulp of the sake. Nami lolled her head to ponder his profile. He certainly had beefed up in the last two years; even with the loose fabric of his clothes, the thick fabric was still pulled taut around the swells of his muscles in some places. His jawline had grown even sharper, rivaling the edges of his katanas, and squarer too- a man's jaw. What she marveled at the most was the linear scar scoring over his right eye. His training must have been unbelievably harsh to have cost him his eye. She found herself smiling in amused derision. It was just like Zoro to nearly kill himself training.

"What's so funny?" he mumbled. He was finally looking at her; he was no longer able to side-eye her, so he turned his head to behold her critically with his remaining eye. Her chest jumped with a chuckle-like huff.

"I was just thinking about how you've changed so much, and yet probably not at all."

"Same could be said for you," he remarked casually. He drained the last dregs of the sake bottle, shook it with an unhappy frown, then set it down beside him and looked back at her again. She wiggled her shoulders and gave him an inquisitive smile.

"Me? Changed? How so?" It seemed he was not expecting the question, as his eyebrows quirked. Nami could not help but smile promiscuously when his cheeks reddened. He grunted out a few embarrassed quips and rubbed the back of his neck compulsively as he struggled to explain himself.

"Er, well, you just… How do I put this…?" As he basically short-circuited, Nami decided it was high time to utilize her feminine wiles.

Indeed, the sea had not been the only thing she had missed. Prior to the complete shift in their lives, Nami admittedly harbored a wee infatuation with Zoro. How could she not? He was a bit airheaded, sure, but he was exceptionally strong and capable. He had always been considerate of her, in his grumpy Zoro way, and she had not missed the gentle touches or lingering looks that he seamlessly passed off as close friendship to the rest of the crew. Whenever she invited banter he sneeringly accepted, quibbling playfully with the fiery navigator at every available opportunity. It had been an unspoken attraction for a very long time, and she wished it had not been.

When they had been forcibly separated, Nami had regretted not acting on her little crush. She had always told herself that there would be time for such feelings later, that it would only complicate their journey, that there were other priorities. It was only once he was stolen away that she realized just how fond she was of Zoro. She had sorely missed his snarky repartee, the feeling of his hand on her waist when he brushed past her or supported her in a strong wind, that jeering sneer so contradictory to the clear affection burning in the pools of his dark eyes. Being deprived of his constant presence was almost as bad as being deprived of the sea.

So, Nami wasn't going to deprive herself anymore. It was time to act on her desires, lest he be wrenched from her hands once more.

His cheeks took on a rosier hue as she shifted onto her hip to lean forward, tip of her nose just barely hitting the end of his chin. She demurely fluttered her lashes as she gazed lustfully at him through lidded eyes.

"Have I become more of a woman, Zoro?" She punctuated the question by drawing her arms inward, shamefully accenting her voluptuous chest. Had she known she would be flirting with him, she would have elected to wear a skimpy tank top instead of a button-up, but it didn't much matter. With a nervous swipe of his tongue over his bottom lip, he glanced down at the bulging globes before returning his gaze her face, now completely tomato-faced.

"You shouldn't tease, Nami," he groaned with a twisting frown and suddenly looked away. Nami's eyes immediately widened at the realization she had upset him. Did he really think that she was playing coy? Well, given her flirtatious nature, she couldn't quite blame him… Still, Nami hand cast her net and damn it if she wasn't drawing in the catch.

"I'm not teasing!" she asserted. Her hand snapped out to enclose around his wrist and jerk his arm, slapping his hand to her cheek. He looked back in shock to find her pouting determinedly up at him. Her face softened once he looked back to her, smiling pathetically. "I mean… I am, but not for the reasons you think. I really _do_ like you, Zoro. I spent these last two years wishing I had told you that sooner." She closed her eyes and nuzzled her cheek into his hand, feeling the rough callouses scraping over her soft skin. "I just… Couldn't go on any longer…"

His hand had remained tense and frozen against her face, but then, slowly, it melted against her to embrace her round features. His fingertips weaved into her tresses of tangerine hair. At the gentle caress, she parted her lashes to peek up at him, and found him wearing the softest smile she had ever seen.

"You could've put it better then, _dumbass_." Rude words with an endearing tone. How did he do it so well? A contented hum purred in her chest as she leaned in again, her free hand smoothing over the thick fabric covering his muscular thigh. "… I missed you too, you know," he murmured with a widening smile. "Every time I thought I might give up… I thought of you, and getting back to you, and found the strength to push forward." Nami felt joy swelling up inside her body, like a stream of bubbles; it was an incredibly sweet sentiment and one she never expected. She was so moved that little tears beaded up in the corners of her eyes, then slipped down her cheeks in thin lines. All the emotions she had bottled up were reaching a boiling point, swirling together in a confusing tempest and making her emotional. "Heyyyy," he cooed soothingly and swiped away the tears with his thumbs. Nami laughed derisively and pressed herself more into his hand. It felt like the contact could never be enough.

"You know, you're pretty sweet when you try," she teased quietly. His smile morphed into a smirk. Demurely, she continued, "Did I really help you get through your training?" He snorted contemptuously.

"Hell yeah! What, do you think I decided to pluck my own eye out for fun? It was hell!" He said so, but he had that grin on his face that showed he enjoyed every minute of it. Nami hummed contentedly and reached up to cup his face with both her hands, her thumb sweeping over the bottom portion of his scar. Her eyes the drifted down to his lips, lingering on them for just a moment before returning her doe-eyed stare to his eyes. His mouth curled into another smug smirk before he responded to Nami's silent request.

Nami's eyes fluttered shut as he leaned in to press his mouth to hers in a tentative, chaste kiss. It didn't take him long at all to grow bolder, moving his mouth against hers with a sharp inhale through his nose. His hands tracked a burning trail down her body, sliding down her neck, over her shoulders, down her arms, before finally dropping to her hips to grip firmly at the soft flesh there and tug her closer. Nami's hands slipped around his neck to play with the fine ends of his close-cropped green hair. She hummed as his mouth moved rhythmically against his own, then sucked in a breath as the tip of his tongue slid entreatingly over her bottom lip. She parted her lips and he wasted no second in diving right in, drawing a small moan from within her as he swept her tongue up in a fervent tangle. Her brain began to swim with the adrenaline and lack of oxygen, muddying her thoughts until all she could focus on was him.

Suddenly her back was pressed into the wood floor and he was hovering over her, hands roaming her sides to touch every square inch of skin possible and his mouth continuing to dominate hers. _To hell with the watch… _she thought dully; at the moment, an entire Marine fleet could happen upon them and she'd still kiss him like it was the end of the world. It was so intoxicating, having him after so long; she was an addict and he was the drug she couldn't bear to deprive herself off.

Thankfully, Zoro very much agreed with "to hell with the watch."

* * *

After, she lay on top of him, tracing abstract patterns into his bare chest with his kimono draped over them like a blanket. He had his hands behind his head as he flippantly watched her ministrations. She paused her invisible painting to run her fingertip down the long scar across his abdomen. It was amazing, how long ago he had obtained that wound. Nami had already deserted them to sail back to Cocoyashi. She couldn't imagine what it was like, standing there facing death. Well… Actually, she could. Her death had just had shark jaws and a sawtooth nose. "What are you thinking about now?" he asked with a small smile. She dropped her arm and rested her cheek on it, returning his grin.

"I'm thinking about how much we've changed so much, and yet not at all." His smile widened and he lifted his arms to slip them under the fabric, enveloping her waist. He tugged her body up a little so he could lean up and press a kiss to the crown of her head. She snuggled up underneath his chin once he dropped his head back, and his hands rubbed comforting circles into the curve of her hips.

"You know what I'm thinking about?"

"Hmm?"

"Wait until that pervy cook finds out."

Nami snorted with laughter at the thought of Sanji's absolutely heartbroken look, followed by murderous fury and a frenzy of legs.

"Yeah, he won't like that one bit." He grunted in response and pressed a few more light kisses into her hair. She shut her eyes to savor his affections, each little caress sending happiness blooming across her body like flowers opening up to the first rays of the sun. As she drifted into the hazy twilight of half-sleep, she imagined she could the sloshing of the rolling waves outside. With the lullaby of the sea and the warmth of the man she treasured, sleep finally came to Nami.

A final thought drifted through the fog of near-slumber.

_Zoro… I hope… I'll never, ever be deprived of you again. _


	77. Over Coffee

Category: Mild Romantic Fluff

Characters: Nico Robin, Trafalgar Law

Requested By: Anonymous User

"_No_!"

The scream tore through Robin's throat like a serrated knife, spreading the iron tang of terror over her tongue, as she bolted upright in bed. Her blue-violet eyes stretched wide but were unseeing as the terrifying images of her homeland exploding under cannonade slowly faded into the darkness. Once they dissolved into the black, her eyelashes fluttered wildly to clear the clinging ghostly haze before her entire body sagged. The fingers that painfully clutched the sheets gradually uncurled, and she swiped her tongue over her chapped lips. Her head slumped forward, spilling her midnight blue hair over her face. "A dream," she reassured herself softly. "It was only a dream."

Robin peered out of the gaps in her pin-straight hair to see Nami grumbling and rolling over to snuggle against the wall. Robin found herself relieved her cries had not awoken the navigator; too often did they awaken in the night to each other's sobs or shrieks. _Let her sleep, _she resolved while slipping out of bed and wriggling her feet into her slippers. _A walk will serve you just as well. _Quietly, she picked her way across the room, avoiding the squeaky floorboards she memorized so as not to awaken her slumbering roommate. When the bedroom door clicked shut behind her, she exhaled deeply and slumped against the cold metal. The explosions still rang dully in her eardrums, punctuated by wails of agony. _Be quiet, _she groaned and clamped her hands over her ears, but it just made the horrible noises louder. _Please. I don't want to remember!_

She didn't recollect running, but she found herself outside on the deck. The salty ocean breeze skimmed over her skin, making the thin sheen of perspiration coating her person gleam. Gulping in the oceanic air, she slowly wound herself down from the manic high. Shuddering from both the atmosphere of doom clinging to her and the chilly night, she rubbed her hands repeatedly over her arms. _Just a dream, _she reminded herself hollowly. Dream or not, it haunted Robin nonetheless.

"Nico-ya?"

Robin jumped as she was abruptly addressed. She glanced over her shoulder to see soft yellow light spilling out onto the grassy deck from the ajar kitchen door. Standing in the threshold was Law, gazing at her curiously with a fresh mug of coffee in his hand. She could tell it was coffee, not only from its robust aroma mingling with the salt spray, but also because she had never seen him drink anything else. "It's almost three in the morning… A little late to be taking a jaunt around the _Sunny_, no?" he asked with a raised eyebrow and sipped his coffee.

"I could ask you the same," she answered as she turned to him. His lips curled up into a smirk, and he smiled sardonically at her over the brim of the mug.

"It's pretty obvious what _I'm_ jaunting around for. One begs the question, however, why a decidedly non-insomniac archaeologist is traipsing around during the Devil's Hour." Robin knew he hadn't meant to insult her blatantly, but she still cringed at the insinuation. The epithet "devil child" still stung her terribly, even well into her twenties. Law did not miss her wince, and his eyebrows crept up his forehead. "I didn't mean to offend."

"No," she interjected and turned such that her side was to him. She crossed her arms and dipped her head a little, closing her eyes to focus on the swirling wind currents rather than the illusions running amok in her mind. "It's all right." She could feel his prickling gaze training on her as she stood there, trying to squash the panic threatening to rise in her once more, but he didn't inquire for quite a while. Either he was too polite or deciding whether to care or not.

Finally, he uttered, "Must've been some nightmare."

Robin's mouth twisted into a self-piteous smile. _Smart man. _She cracked an eye open to peek at him through her peripheral vision. He now leaned against the doorjamb, sipping at his coffee with his golden eyes glimmering meaningfully. "Not that I'm the authority on friendship or anything, but if you'd like to talk…" he began to propose, trailing off. A faint pink hue rose to his cheeks, or it could have been the heat of the beverage blooming across his face. "… You can talk to me. I'll listen."

Robin had to admit that her heart swelled at the kind gesture. Law was most certainly not the epitome of consideration or goodness; nevertheless, he had offered to comfort her. A walk had not served its purpose at all, so she soon found herself sitting on the bench alongside Nami's tangerine grove, a warm mug of coffee in her hands and Law seated beside her. There, in the little veranda perfumed with citrus flowers and bathed in the starlight, Robin recounted the destruction of her homeland. As promised, Law only listened to her venting; he never uttered a word but attentively harkened her tale. By the time she reached the end of her dismal story, she was hunched over clutching the mug in a white-knuckled grasp, tears dripping off her lashes to fall into the brown-black liquid.

"The World Government murdered the entire island for their selfish reasons," she sniffed and swiped the back of her hand over her eyes. Tears smeared over her skin, glinting in the moonlight.

"Yeah," he snorted derisively. "They're good at that kind of thing."

Nodding, Robin eased herself back into a sitting position and sipped at the long-cold coffee. Its bitter flavor still eased her sorrows somewhat, but more so did the presence of the aloof man beside her. She knew the details of Law and the Amber Lead, so she knew that he understood her misery _excruciatingly_ well.

He had finished his coffee some time ago and set the empty mug down on the wood boards. He had his arms stretched out across the bench, with his left one just barely tucked behind her shoulders. Law's eyes had been trained on her throughout her story, but he was now looking straight ahead, just over the balustrade at the thin stripe of sapphire sea sparkling with reflected moonlight. Robin smiled slightly as she side-eyed him, appreciating how attractively his blue-tinted hair and tanned skin shone with the night's light.

"Thank you for listening."

He reached up to rub the base of his neck awkwardly, flicking his gold eyes to her and then back to the horizon.

"Sure. Do you feel better?"

"Yes."

"Treatment success, then," he smirked playfully, then leaned down to retrieve his empty mug. "Back to my regularly scheduled plotting and scheming, I suppose." Robin giggled and reclined against the bench, quirking her eyebrow at him.

"You've already toppled Doflamingo. What more could you have to scheme?"

"Only the complete dismantlement of the World Government, of course," he grinned riotously while twirling the coffee cup in his hand. The lingering dregs of liquid splashed out, spattering over the deck. "If you're so insistent on staying up, I suppose I could use a scheming partner," he posed as she smiled mischievously at him. Robin languidly rose to stand in front of him, nearly chest-to-chest as she flirtatiously peered into his face. To his credit, he didn't retreat, only tipped his chin up challengingly.

"Oh? They used to call me the Devil's Child, you know. Are you sure you can handle the wicked inner-workings of my mind?" Law's grin widened gleefully, and as he placed a hand on his hip, he purposely bumped his chest against hers. His head leaned dangerously close, so close that Robin could smell the black coffee on his breath.

"Wickedness is preferable in schemes such as mine. Why don't you enlighten me to your malevolence, Miss Devil's Child?" Robin purred roguishly. It was only now that he was right in front of her, engaging in her banter, that Robin realized how devilishly handsome he was. She tipped her head up impudently, just barely brushing her lips against his and tickling his goatee with her chin.

"Well-"

"If you two are going to flirt, do you _have_ to do it where I can see it?"

The two of them sprang apart, placing several feet between them. Zoro was hanging out of the window of the crow's nest, eyeing them crossly. He was clearly disgusted with their coy little exchange. Robin flushed and put a hand over her mouth, mortified that the swordsman had borne witness to their courtship, while Law scowled irately.

"What makes you think we were flirting, Roronoa-ya?!"

"_Please_. You were literally undressing each other with your eyes, and practically kissing. Disgusting," the green-haired man grumbled. "Did you two sneak out here for some stupid midnight rendezvous?"

"No!" they yelled simultaneously, cheeks burning identical shades of red. Zoro cackled in amusement and shouted, "Goodnight, lovebirds!" before retreating into the observation dome. Law growled and muttered some very unflattering curses under his breath, while Robin could not help but laugh.

"What's so funny, Nico-ya?" the golden-eyed man griped and rounded on her.

"You're cute when you're embarrassed. Such a lovely shade of pink you are right now," she teased. Law's scowl deepened, and he pointed a threatening finger at her.

"You're on thin ice, woman."

"Oh, but I am _so_ excited to know what happens when it breaks." His face flushed darker at her obvious insinuations, which made her laugh more. She walked forward to clap a hand on his shoulder, sighing contentedly, before brushing past him. "Thank you for tonight, Law."

"Where are you going?" She had to smile at the obvious disappointment in his voice and the way his body turned to follow her movement.

"Sorry, no scheming for me tonight. How about a rain check?" Robin called over her shoulder as she descended the stairs to the main deck. Law mumbled irritably and strolled to the balustrade, leaning on it and watching her recede into the bowels of the ship. Robin skimmed her fingers over her lips, feeling the tingles of his mouth barely against hers, and she smiled warmly. _The best coffee is left to steep for a while, after all, _she sniggered when she pictured Law's dissatisfied expression. Her heart skipped a little in her chest, like a that of a teenage girl fantasizing about her crush. It was a new sensation, but not an unwelcome one.

The taste of coffee and salt and citrus blooms sparkled on her tongue like fine champagne. _Yes, _she thought, looking back over her shoulder though Law was no longer in view. _I'm very looking forward to some scheming over coffee sometime soon, Law. _

_Until then. _


	78. Cantaloupe Kiss

Category: Romantic Fluff

Characters: Zoro, Nami

_I finally got a chance to write something for doctorgerth's One Piece of Summer Event! I've meant to since the beginning, but alas, things pile up. This little piece is inspired by the prompt "fruit"! Enjoy :3_

Nami held her arms pinned behind her back like a drill sergeant as she strode purposefully in front of the members of the Straw Hat Crew, plus Law. They were arranged in a straight line, regarding her with expression ranging from amusement to annoyance- aside from the Heart Pirates captain, who was disinterestedly inspecting his cuticles. Nami clicked her tongue and snapped her heels together, sweeping her burning brown eyes over the lot of them.

"All right! Listen up!" she commanded. "Dressrosa Kingdom is a considerable journey, and we have not stocked since we left Saobody Archipelago. We have moored at this island-" she gestured to the bustling port spilling out behind the port side of the ship, where the sailors were hauling in imported goods and the day's catch. "-to procure the necessary goods. We are on a tight schedule here, people! There will be no lollygagging or pointless scuffling today!" She tossed a pointed glare at their straw hat-wearing captain, who scrunched up his face and picked his nose in defiance. "_Luffy_!" she warned with a raised eyebrow.

"Okay, _okay_! In and out, quick and quiet, I _get_ it," the boy grumbled unhappily. Nami straightened up with a pleased hum.

"Right then. Robin, Law, and Chopper are in charge of procuring medical supplies. Sanji and Luffy will take the meat market, Usopp and Franky the spice market, and Zoro and I the produce market. Momonosuke and Kine'mon will look after the _Sunny_." A few of the more zealous crew members snapped their hands to their foreheads in salutes with a rousing cry of "Yes, ma'am!" They scattered like marbles, climbing over the side of the ship to vanish into the town. Nami climbed down the rungs of the port-side ladder and landed on the slick, salty docks, while Zoro opted to just vault over the side and land beside her. One hand rested lazily on the hilt of his katana in a clear warning against challenging him. Nami pulled the list of required fresh fruits and vegetables from her pocket and gave it a once-over. "All right, Zoro! Let's go."

"Why do I have to go with you, anyway?" he griped with a sigh, rubbing the close-cropped green hairs on the nape of his neck. "I could be sleeping or drinking."

"You're my pack mule."

"Of _course_."

Bells rang resoundingly throughout the bustling docks as ships rolled into port, causing the waves around the algae-coated, barnacle-covered posts slosh and throw up white foam. The little droplets speckled Nami's bare legs as she strolled confidently down the docks towards the city proper, which hugged the small blip of space right before the sprawling harbor. As they entered the catacomb-like winding streets of the town, the ringing bells and boatmen's shouts faded into pleasant chatter and the whistling wind and birdsong. Aromas of freshly-baked pies and laundry soaps and hearty breads blended harmonically in the breeze, telling of peaceful homesteads enjoying the warm afternoon. Nami followed the quaint wooden markers towards the market, which bloomed in the center of town like a colorful lake.

Waves of colorful fabric tossed in the wind. Regal purples and bright reds and spring greens and sunny yellows made up the rippling canvasses of shop stalls and banners. The fruit market lay in the eastern corner, and Nami knew upon strolling up that she had chosen the right island. Wooden barrels and crates overflowed with succulent specimens, some even so overripe that they burst open to leak sweet juice over the concrete. The ship was quite stocked with tangerines, thanks to Nami's well-tended hoard, but she still squeezed a few samples and complimented the merchant on his excellent crop.

"Now, let's see," Nami said as she referenced her shopping list again. "Apples… Peaches… Bananas… Mangoes… Melons…" As she read down the list, she plucked suitable samplings from the vast array of displays and piled them into the large wooden box a very disgruntled Zoro was lugging around. The fruit piled up quickly, and soon the round, delicious foods nearly spilled over the sides. Zoro could most definitely bear the weight, but still, she felt guilty that he didn't possess the opportunity to roam around in search of weapons stores like he usually did on supply runs. _I'll make it up to him. _

"Zoro?"

"Huh?" he grunted with a raised eyebrow.

"What's your favorite kind of fruit?" He shifted the box, bearing its weight with on hulky arm, to peer critically at her over the top of a honeydew melon. "Surely, you must have one!" she clicked her teeth insistently. His mouth twisted into a slight frown before he muttered, "Cantaloupe." "Cantaloupe! All right, then." Nami glanced back over the fruit stall once more to locate the large, round fruit. Zoro watched her curiously as she purchased one of the ripe melons and gestured for him to follow, carrying it underneath her arm rather than tossing it into the crate with the rest of the fruit. She located an iron bench on the fringe of the marketplace and eased herself onto it with a contented sigh, then patted the space beside her. "Come on, Zoro! You've worked hard. You've earned yourself a little treat, I'd say."

His dark eyes were watchful as he lowered the crate at her feet and plopped onto the bench beside her. Using a small pocketknife that she carried around for miscellaneous purposes such as this, she carved into the rind. Sweet, bright orange juice burst from the seam to coat her fingers and leave them sticky. Nami ignored the sensation and continued to slice the peel around the circumference of the melon, then split the fruit in half. She carved a small piece out before holding it out to Zoro with a bright smile. "Here!"

"You're being awfully nice," he huffed suspiciously, but took the cantaloupe square and popped it into his mouth anyway. He hummed appreciatively as he chewed on the fruit's creamy flesh. Nami cut herself a piece and nibbled at it. It was just firm enough and saturated in sweet juice, so it was no wonder that Zoro enjoyed it so much. "You're not going to charge me for this, are you?" he asked shiftily and tore himself another piece from the cantaloupe.

"No, this one's on me," she laughed. "I know there are things you would rather be doing than hauling around our groceries, so the _least_ I could do was buy you a cantaloupe." She bit into another chunk of the fruit and sighed contentedly. "Besides, it _is_ absolutely delicious."

"Who knew? You actually have a nice side."

"Hey!" she protested and elbowed him in the ribs. He hissed as she jabbed him right in his intercostals. Muttering unflattering curses, he rubbed his bruising side, but he also tossed her a playful smirk. Suddenly, he tore a sizeable chunk of the cantaloupe free with his fingers and shoved it right in her face. She squealed as the fruit squished against her cheek, splashing juice over her face and even into her nose. The mangled lump of fruit flopped down onto her thighs, spreading a puddle of the sticky liquid over the tanned skin, while she blew through her nose to force out little bits of cantaloupe. "Zoro! That wasn't funny!" she whined and wiped at her face with the heels of her palms. Zoro found it _quite_ funny, for he was cackling like a maniac. "Take this!" Nami huffed and dug out some of the orange fruit.

"Oh shit!" he yelled as she slapped him in the forehead with it. He squeezed his eyes shut as the juice cascaded down, and the front ends of his moss-green hair were slathered with the sunset color. "Nami, you little-!" She shrieked delightedly as he grabbed her by the wrists and began wrestling with her. The half-eaten cantaloupe slid from her lap to fall atop the rest of the fruit in the crate. Though she slapped and pawed at him playfully, Zoro's sizeable bulk allowed him to jostle her quite easily. He soon had her pinned down against the hard, black bottom of the bench, knees on either side of her hips, and smirking in devilish glee as he hunched over her. "Shame on you. You wasted the cantaloupe."

"You're the one who pushed it in my face first!" she pouted. Zoro's Cheshire cat grin widened, and something new began to sparkle in the dark pits of his eyes. Her pursed lips gradually flattened as she stared at him in wonder. "Hey… Zoro, what's that look for?" He did not respond, only lightly pinched the end of her chin between his thumb and forefinger. His knees pushed inwards to hug snugly against her hips. The action sent a pleasurable tremble rocketing up her spine. Her eyelashes fluttered demurely once she realized his intentions, and her mouth curled into a challenging smirk. "Oh? Now, this is new."

"Do you think I would humbly commit to serving as a pack mule for just _anyone_?" he growled lowly. His pink tongue flashed across his canine, making Nami shudder again. His entire hand was cupping her cheek now. The juice rolling down her face pooled in the small space between their skin, making it feel like sugary sweet syrup tenderly embraced her face. In response to his lascivious gesture, Nami licked some of the cantaloupe juice from the corner of her lip. "You're a minx."

"Says the man who pinned me to a bench and is ravishing me with his eyes." His broad chest rumbled with an approving purr. The tips of his first two fingers traced her jawline before pausing over her lips. Nami's eyes bored into his as she lightly kissed his fingertips, watching with relish as the corner of his mouth inched up into a satisfied sneer. "Are you going to make a lady infer, or are you going to say what's on your mind?" she asked, leaning her head back so that his fingers dropped to the column of her throat.

"You're devious."

"That isn't what you were thinking." He grinned domineeringly and slowly brought his face down to hover over hers. Nami could feel his hot breath ghosting over her face, carrying the scent of cantaloupe and the sake he had chugged with breakfast that morning.

"Fine," he relented with a charming smile. "I thought that you're gorgeous."

"Even with cantaloupe all over my face?"

"_Especially_ with cantaloupe all over your face." Nami snorted with laughter and wound her arms loosely around his neck. Her fingers threaded into the short hairs at the nape, feeling their stubbly stiffness. "You _are_ gorgeous," he breathed and traced the knuckle of his forefinger over her cheekbone. The smile that bloomed on his face was not one of momentary lust, but long-lasting affection. Nami smiled sweetly and brought one of her hands around to cup his chiseled jaw.

"Then kiss me."

Zoro didn't waste any time. His face dove down to envelop her mouth with his own in a searing kiss. Nami hummed into it, savoring the movement of his surprisingly soft lips against hers. He angled his head, kissing her more passionately, before the tip of his tongue traced the length of her bottom lip to lap up the cantaloupe juice. Nami complied to his silent request, parting her lips; his tongue greedily slipped through the gap to tangle with her own. The rich taste of cantaloupe burst on Nami's tongue as they fervently devoured each other in hot, wet kisses. Her hands traveled the lengths of his arms, exploring every divot and rugged muscle, before springing to his back to splay her fingers over the corded flesh of his deltoid.

They sprang apart panting and pink-faced, but Nami still chased his leaving lips, desperate for continued contact. Zoro chuckled and pecked her cutely a few more times before sitting up on the bench and wiping at his face.

"Ugh. What a mess."

"Yeah. It's gonna take me hours to get all this cantaloupe juice out of my hair!" Nami pouted and tugged at her sodden strands of tangerine-colored hair. Zoro smirked as he leisurely rose from the bench, stretching his arms above his head. "We had better get back to the ship. It won't do to have all this fruit in this heat," she remarked as she also stood up. Zoro's arms flopped to his sides after he finished stretching.

"Back to being the pack mule," he snorted amusedly and leaned over to pick up the box of fruit. As he was rising, Nami pecked him on the cheek. "What's that about?"

"Nothing. Just had a bit of cantaloupe on your cheek." Grinning spiritedly, he rolled his eyes and bumped her with his hip. "Hey, watch it!" she warned as the fruits at the top of the produce-laden box wobbled precariously and rolled over one another. "I paid good money for those."

"Uh-huh." Nami stuck out her tongue at him and began sauntering along the cobblestone road. A smile graced her face as she pleasantly considered the exciting romantic development, and her lips tingled with the remnants of a cantaloupe kiss…


	79. A Fool in Love

Category: Mild Romantic Fluff

Characters: Boa Hancock, Monkey D. Luffy

Requested By: Anonymous User

"No! Oh, no, not this… Not this one, either; I look _ghastly_!" Hancock wailed as she tossed dress after dress from behind her changing screen. "I'll never find anything suitable to wear," she moped pitifully with a sidelong glance at the mountain of clothes on her floor. After a second of reconsideration, she peered critically at one of the dresses she had tossed aside, then plucked it up and shimmied into it.

Frowning thoughtfully, she inspected her figure in the frame, running her hands over the form-fitting sapphire fabric. Her thighs poked out of the long slit that cut up to her hip, but thankfully the heaviness of the material would prevent any unfortunate flashing. Roses were embroidered across the bustier in sky blue thread, accented by white thorns and leaves. The sleeves were short, hugging the skin of her shoulders to allow the full majesty of her slender arms to be on display. Hancock whirled around to ensure that not even the merest inch of her branding poked out from beneath the fabric. She gave the collar and sleeves a few experimental tugs to ensure that even a good jostling would not betray her previous slave status, then exhaled in relief. She slid into a pair of black shoes and walked over to the window.

The jungle of Amazon Lily encroached upon the walls of her bower; emerald-green vines climbed the stone walls to poke at her window, and ferns clustered at the base of the keep. The trees with their large, fan-like leaves and twisting branches interlocked together like a woolen quilt, crowding all the available space to grapple for the sun's warm rays. The dense, lush forest lands prevented Hancock from seeing the harbor, so staring longingly into the distance did little good. Yet stare she did, imagining the stylized lion figurehead charging through the frothing waves and the gleeful laugh of a pirate captain as he clutched his straw hat to his head.

"_Luffy…" _she crooned dreamily and practically melted over the stone sill. Ever since his long-awaited achievement of "King of the Pirates," Luffy and his crew had been cruising around the Grand Line visiting islands that they had missed on their first tour. Six peaceful months had passed, and finally, the winds were bringing him within Hancock's reach. _I shall take him into my arms and finally make him mine! _Hancock immediately cursed herself for such selfishness. _No! It is pointless if he doesn't love me… _she pouted and laid her cheek against her forearm. It was vexing. Men usually loved Hancock so quickly, but Monkey D. Luffy seemed an entirely different breed. That is what intrigued her so, however. Hancock knew that if she could win his affections, it would be _real_, not based on her beauty or status. Her lips curled into a smile.

_I want him to love me, plainly and honestly. _

She gripped the windowsill and slammed her forehead into the stone with an agonized groan. The only problem was that it was apparently impossible to appeal to Luffy's basal urges! Hancock had tried dressing provocatively, body language, verbal cues, and even outright flirting, but it all just sailed over his head. _How do I woo a man who seemingly cannot be wooed?! _She moped silently. As he agonized over the conundrum, she wiggled her hips and groaned miserably. She then suddenly shot up, little flyaways of her dark hair curling around her forehead.

"It matters not! I will welcome him with open arms and do what I can to express my love to him!" she huffed. She then shrieked and jumped nearly a foot in the air as the room resounded with a loud knock. "C-come in!" she called, hastily smoothing the creases in her dress and fixing her hair. One of her attending ladies entered and bowed low.

"My Lady, the Straw Hat vessel is in view. Would you like to greet them at the harbor?"

"_Yes_!" she squealed and darted for the door. She then realized how unbecoming scrambling like a lunatic was, so she straightened up and cleared her throat regally. "Ah-ahem, yes," she repeated more calmly. She squared her shoulders and raised her chin, easing back into her dignified personage. Her waiting lady bowed respectfully once more before escorting her out of the palace. As Hancock strode down the well-worn path meandering down to the port, she squirmed and fidgeted excessively. _I wonder if Luffy has changed any in all this time… Has he grown more dashing and handsome? _she wondered with a dreamy smile rising to her lips. _I wonder if he'll think I have become more beautiful, _she speculated with a casual flip of her voluminous hair over her shoulder. Her mind pored over the flirtatious fantasies, so she was completely out of it by the time the docks came into view.

"My Lady? My Lady, we are here." Hancock released an unflattering noise when she was yanked out of her daydreaming. The trees had given way to a flat grassy clearing rimmed with white sand. The waves rolled in to slosh at the shore, spraying seafoam up in impressive arcs. Because Amazon Lily was so isolated, it only possessed a single pier, to which a few fishing boats moored. A larger, more remarkable vessel was approaching on the horizon, with a tremendous white wake trailing behind it. Hancock's heart somersaulted in her chest as she clapped eyes on familiar sails, a familiar figurehead, and a familiar pirate insignia.

"It's the _Thousand Sunny! _Prepare for docking!" shouted one of the dock workers. She and another scrambled over the salt-soaked wood to prepare the mooring rope and ensure none of the fishing vessels would impede the process. The _Sunny's _mighty hull groaned in greeting as it slid up beside the short pier, and the green-haired swordsman shouted down for the rope while the blonde cook jerked on the rusted anchor chain stretched from the back of the ship to ensure it was set correctly in the sandy bottom. Hancock, abandoning all thoughts of dignity, scampered up to the pretty ship and shouted greeting. Her expression brightened as Luffy's cheerful call floated down immediately after.

"Heyyyy! _Hancoooock_!" Her heart pumped against her ribcage with excitement as she watched Luffy stand up on the ship's bulkhead and stretch. With a giddy cackle, he stretched both his arms down to grip one of the pier posts, winding the elastic limbs several times around the wood, and sprang down to the dock. "It was nice of you to meet us here," he remarked gratefully as he straightened up and adjusted his worn straw hat. Hancock trilled melodically and scampered up to the handsome young pirate with eyes sparkling like crystals.

"But of course! I extend every courtesy to the love of my l- _my dearest friend_!" She flushed as she hurriedly corrected herself. Luffy seemed not to notice her stumble and held his hand over his brow as he surveyed the shore.

"Yup, yup! Man, the island hasn't changed at all." Hancock pressed the pad of her index finger to her plump, glossed lips and wiggled her shoulders with a demure flutter of her lashes.

"Have _I_ changed any, Luffy…?" He blinked curiously at her. He then flashed her a cheesy, toothy grin.

"Nope! Not at all!" He whirled on his heel to shout up at his crewmates to get a move on so they could eat, so he didn't notice the disappointed slump of her shoulders. She pouted miserably at his back for a few seconds before straightening up with a determined huff. _Maybe that isn't a bad thing! I am sure that he is relieved that I am the same! _she told herself. "Hancock, Hancock!" Luffy cried and whirled back around. "You've got food, right? I'm _starving_!"

"B-but, of course! A great feast has been prepared in your honor." Luffy snickered devilishly and rubbed his hands together with excited mutters of "oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!" Hancock's heart sung with joy, for she was delighted that her gesture had pleased him. The remainder of the Straw Hat Pirates had climbed down from the ship and were milling about. The blond-haired cook was flirting with one of the dock attendants and wasn't deterred when she screamed and threw a pile of mooring rope into his face. As the crew members began shambling up the path, Hancock sidled up to Luffy and smiled shyly. "Luffy, may I accompany you?"

"I mean, duh! What else were you gonna do, stay here? It's not a proper feast without you!" He sniggered and began tromping after his fellow pirates, whistling loudly and swinging his arms with every exaggerated step. Hancock squeaked at him to wait and scurried after him, shuffling fast to keep up with his long strides though she was by no means short. Panting slightly, she tried to keep a pleasant smile.

_Okay, Hancock! Now's your time to make your move! _

"L-Luffy!" she cried over his whistles. The piercing noise halted as he looked at her with curious, wide eyes. "Th-this path is a little rough, and you're walking so fast…" she petered off as she blushed, hoping he would understand her insinuations. _He'll offer to walk slower, and we'll get separated from the crowd… And I can be frank with my feelings! _Hancock had decided a classic confession was the only way to break through the dense shell of a man. The trick was getting him alone. _Come on! Come on! _Hancock willed silently.

"Oh, do your feet hurt or something?" Luffy asked and then stopped walking. Hancock's heart back-flipped, and she squirmed excitedly in anticipation. She jumped when he suddenly cupped a hand to his mouth to yell, "Hey, Franky! Be a gentleman and carry Hancock! Her feet hurt!" Hancock stammered refusals and insistencies that she was just fine, but the giant robot man hulked over to her nonetheless. She yelped as he hefted her up with his metal arms like she was weightless.

"My _lovely_ Hancock! Would you rather me carry you~?" Sanji crooned, appearing over Franky's bulbous biceps with an animated wiggle. Hancock wanted to reply that there was only one man she wished would scoop her into his arms, but she resigned herself to the flirtation failure. She quietly thanked the blue-haired cyborg who grinned and shouted, "_SUPERRR_!" loud enough to burst her eardrums. Miserably, she huddled against his steel chest and watched Luffy resume his energetic strolling.

_It's all right! He merely misunderstood because I was not forthcoming with my desires! It was still courteous of him to insist I be carried. I will just have to try again!_

* * *

"_Ooooooooooooo_!" Luffy hooted, eyes nearly bugging out of his head as he clapped them on the splendorous smorgasbord spread out before him. A wooden table that could seat fifty was laden with food: baskets of breads, trays of baked potatoes with freshly-churned butter, sauteed mushrooms and seared asparagus and stir-fried vegetables, salads tossed in vinaigrettes, and a massive spit-roasted boar. Drool pooled at Luffy's feet as he stamped them ecstatically before he launched himself at the table, clambering on all fours onto the seat. "Yesyesyesyes_yes_!" He grinned with a lolling tongue.

"Luffy! Be kind enough to thank our host before digging in _like a pig_!" the fiery-haired navigator scolded when he ripped a leg off the boar and sunk his teeth into the tender flesh. Still gripping the meat in his teeth, he grunted, "Thanksh Hancock." The woman giggled and daintily held a hand to her mouth. Her dress swished around her ankles as she sauntered up to him, leaning down with her hands on her knees to fondly watch him pile food a foot high on the plate.

"You are most welcome. I hope you find it to your liking."

"Uh-huh! It's sho good!" He nodded with jam-packed cheeks. "Sit wif me!" Hancock's cheeks flushed pink, but she obediently eased herself onto the wooden bench beside him. Her attendants scurried forth to neatly arrange samplings of the food onto the golden dish before bowing and darting away. Hancock primly ate beside Luffy, carving into the boar with a knife and fork while he attacked it like a starved coyote.

"I specifically ordered a boar be slain for this feast, since I know how much you love meat," she remarked, shyly peering at him through her lashes. Luffy shot her a toothy grin, bits of lettuce and crunchy pig skin caught in his teeth. Some people might find it unflattering behavior, but Hancock relished it, because it indicated just how much he was enjoying the feast she had arranged. A little gravy dribbled on his chin, so she chuckled and dabbed at it with a napkin.

An idea then sparked in her love-struck mind.

"... Luffy, I'm sure you're very weary from your journey. Why don't I feed you?" she suggested, leaning a little into his shoulder but trying not to seem too insistent. _Surely he will understand my meaning, right? After all, I cannot ask him to leave while he is enjoying him so much so I can confess to him…_ She fluttered her lashes hopefully as he considered the prospect. Before he could answer, however, Sanji vaulted himself across the table to try and shimmy between herself and Luffy.

"Hancock, my dear! 3 I'm _exhausted_; please feed _me_!" Hancock gasped in horror as his elbow crashed into her goblet of wine and sent it spilling everywhere. It doused her food, soaked into the white tablecloth and the wood, and splattered all down her front to turn the gorgeous sapphire fabric of her gown a winy purple. Her cheeks blazed apple-red from embarrassment and anger. She blacked out for a second, and when she found her wits, she was crushing Sanji's head with her foot and tilted her head back at a ninety-degree-angle.

"You _heathen_! Know your place! I don't recall _asking _you!"

"My place is as your humble servant, my magnificent queen~!" Truthfully, Hancock would have turned him to stone if he wasn't one of Luffy's trusted crewmates. She lifted her heel from his cheek so Nami could grab him by the collar and drag him to the corner for a proper scolding. Hancock's ire diminished to be replaced by acute sadness. She whimpered as she beheld the purple stain gradually staining the skirt of her dress, leaving sticky patches of wine on her thighs. _It's ruined… _

"Hey, Sanji, you ruined the food!" Luffy yelled. He hopped to his feet, ripping the last bite of white meat from a bone, before tossing it into the pile that had accumulated on his plate. Hancock turned away from him, for she was ashamed to be seen in such an unseemly position. "Hey, it's okay! Nami'll pound Sanji good," Luffy reassured with a big grin. "You should go change, Hancock."

_Now's my chance! _she thought and peeked through her curtains of black hair over her shoulder. Putting her finger to her cheek, she blushed and meekly asked, "Luffy… Would you accompany me? I very much wish to hear about your adventure, and I simply cannot wait." _Now! Now must be the time! _she pleaded, praying the universe would not throw yet another wrench into her efforts.

"Yeah, sure!" Hancock nearly deflated like a balloon with relief. Still, she managed to retain her composure, sodden dress and all, and escort him out of the dining hall. Per her request, Luffy began to babble about the various new islands they had visited, gesturing wildly with a big smile on his face. Hancock listened attentively at first, but soon became lost in the avidness of his words and the joy in his expression. It was simply so amazing to her, the pure zeal he possessed for adventure. It was nothing short of inspiring. Had Hancock not had Amazon Lily to manage, his words alone would've spurred her to take to the seas, chasing the endless horizon with wind in her hair and salt on her skin…

"-and so then I knock the bastard out, and the nice lady cooked us this huge pot of stew afterward!" Luffy finished his current regale as they strolled through the door of Hancock's bedroom. She had been so absorbed in his emotional state that she hadn't heard one word prior, but she still responded with a cheerful remark and a nod. She indicated for him to sit on the bed, and he did so, plopping down to swing his legs. His ankles repeatedly bumped against the thick mattress as she began rifling through the mound of dresses still lying on her floor. Hancock blushed as she rummaged, wondering if he thought her sloppy and unkempt. "It's a shame about your dress," he frowned with a loose gesture to her form. "I thought you looked nice in it."

"R-really?" she squeaked, whirling around and slapping her hands to her cheeks. He beamed, looking as if it were the most natural thing to say.

"Yeah! I think blue looks good with your hair."

"Is that so?! Well, I shall put on another, and please tell me how it looks!" Hancock flung aside every dress that wasn't blue. Finally, she found a silk ultramarine dress and practically threw herself behind the changing screen. Luffy snickered as her hip bumped it and pushed it a good five inches to the left. Hancock wrestled herself out of the dress, but in her excitement, got her arms tangled up in the bustier. At first, she pretended she was not struggling, discreetly worming about, but she then grew frustrated and started thrashing with angry squeaks. Hancock stumbled over the stone floor in her ire, growing more upset with every fruitless writhe. _Oh, dammit, why can't I- _She froze when her behind jounced into something thin and wafer-like, and she heard the unmistakable sound of the room divider clattering to the floor. She felt a blush crawl from her toes to the crown of her head, turning her body pink.

"L-luffy! Don't look!" she begged. She bit down on her lip as mortified tears bloomed in the corners of her eyes. Here she was, half-naked stuck in a dress in front of the man she wanted to impress. _All I have done this afternoon is make myself out to be a fool! _She lamented. She heard the mattress creak as Luffy adjusted himself. She managed to twist the fabric around her head just so to peer out of the sleeve hole. He was still seated on the bed with his fingers laced over his eyes, and she exhaled in relief. No doubt, he saw her compromising position, but at the very least, he wasn't _gawking_. With renewed vigor, she began fumbling with the dress again, sending rivers of wine running down her belly as it leaked from the soaked fabric. She still could not free herself from the twisted cloth. "… Luffy, please help me," she pleaded in a small voice.

Luffy slid on the bed, keeping his eyes squeezed tight as he fumbled around with his hands held out in front of him. She had to admire his chivalry. "You can open your eyes. You can't help me if you can't see." It embarrassed her to no end to say such, but they would be here all night if he were trying to untangle her virtually blinded.

"Are you sure?" he asked, head turning in the direction of her voice.

"Please! It's so tight; it hurts!" His eyes snapped open and, true to the goodness in his heart, his gaze didn't once travel to her very exposed underwear as he hurried over and began tugging at the twisted dress. She remained patiently still as he manipulated her arms to pull the fabric this way and that, and she relaxed as it gradually loosened around her. Once she could move again, it was no effort to pull it over her head and throw it to the ground. Luffy immediately whirled on his heel and crossed his arms, kindly presenting his back to her so she could change in peace. However, emotional turmoil had overtaken her mind. Choking out a sob, Hancock pressed her forehead between his shoulder blades and clutched at the red fabric of his vest.

"You must think me a fool."

"Why would I think that? I get stuck in my shorts all the time!" She smiled bitterly. Surely, he was only trying to make her feel better. Her fingers twisted into the coarse fabric as tears stained the red surface. "… Hancock? You okay?" he asked after her period of silence.

"No!" she sobbed pitifully. "I'm a _fool_. I have been trying to impress you all day, and all my efforts have fallen utterly short- and now look at me… getting stuck in a dress and covered in wine." She rubbed her eyes with the heels of her palms. "I'm a selfish person… I've made tonight all about me and my wishes, when I should have focused more on your accomplishments and happiness. I'm so _sorry_, Luffy."

"I dunno what you're apologizing for." His shoulder muscles flexed as he scratched the top of his head puzzledly. "I don't think you're selfish or a fool at all. I love you just the way you are!" The glass shattered in Hancock's mind. _Did he… No, he couldn't have. _She replayed the moment several times in her head, and sure enough, the word "love"- not "_like_"- had come out of his mouth. She gulped as all the water drained from her mouth, and she clutched his clothes in a death grip.

"Luffy… You… Love me?"

"O'course I do!" he answered casually, apparently unaware of the emotional weight of the word.

"Like you love your crew?" His face contorted into a confused frown, and he rubbed his chin.

"Well… No, it's not quite like that," Luffy thought aloud. "It's like… I love _meat_, and then I love the _Thousand Sunny_, and then I love my _crew_, and then it's _you_." As he rattled off the list, he counted on his fingers. Hancock's face blazed with a fierce fire at the realization that she ranked top on his priority list. "I was _really_ excited to come to Amazon Lily and see you! Honestly, I wish you didn't have the island to run, so you could come sailing with me!" he laughed good-naturedly. Tears had begun to pour down Hancock's cheeks again, but not from shame. "Hey, are you still sad?"

"No. I'm so happy. So very _happy_. All I wanted to know is if you loved me."

"_Shishishishi_! Well, I do, so… Chin up, okay?" She lifted her head to blearily blink at him, finding him glancing over his shoulder. He patted her head, rubbing her scalp with tender care. Her bottom lip wobbled as the most intense joy she had ever felt bubbled up inside her body, overflowing like a freshly-opened bottle of champagne. In her delight, she leaned in to press a quick kiss to his cheek. He blinked, then smiled roguishly and rubbed the gloss mark she had left behind. "Hehe, so, do I get to see that dress on you or what? I bet it's mighty pretty!"

Hancock then remembered she was in her underwear, very much chest-to-back with the cute pirate captain. Squealing, she flung away from him to bury herself under the changing screen. Cheeks burning, she lamented the comical twist of fate while Luffy just held his belly laughing and strode out the room, telling her to come out when she was ready. Hancock peered out from underneath the thin screen to watch him leave, smiling warmly.

_I love you just the way __**you**__ are, too. _


	80. Needed Part III

Category: Romantic Fluff

Characters: Baby 5, Monkey D. Luffy

Requested By: Tastsumi (Ao3)

Cricket song mingled with the droning of soft snores in the fresh night air. The little insects chirped in the clumps of long grasses ringing the small jungle clearing in which Baby 5 and the rest of the Straw Hat Pirates snoozed contentedly beneath the stars. Alas, Baby was not sleeping. Her dark eyes fixated on the forest canopy above, where the glimmering stars peeked through the dense network of interlocking branches and waxy leaves to spill dappled white light over her. She clicked her tongue and rolled onto her side, snuggling into the warm fabric of her sleeping bag. No, there was nothing for it; sleep would not find young Baby tonight. Sighing wistfully, she tossed the blankets off herself and rose, stretching her arms above her head and glancing around the clearing.

As it had turned out, the arrival to Zou had been an ordeal in itself. The resident Minks had been hostile at first, for they had suffered an attack by pirates, not a few days before the _Sunny's_ landing. Then, Luffy and company had learned that their cook, Sanji, had been abducted by the Emperor Big Mom for a political wedding. They established a plan to send half of the crew onward to Wano, where they would infiltrate the populace alongside the Heart Pirates and gather information on their newest enemy, the Emperor Kaido. The other section of the crew would travel to Big Mom's territory to retrieve their absconded cook. Several of the Minks had even pledged themselves to their cause, which Baby thought very kind of them.

Since the night in the crow's nest, Baby 5 had not suffered any more nightmares. To be frank, she was a little surprised to be insomnious on this night; she had not given Doflamingo another passing thought. Yet, here Baby was, wide awake in the middle of the night. _Perhaps I'll take a walk, _she reasoned. The last late-night jaunt had ended particularly well, so possibly, her little stroll through the lush woods would result in similar luck. Baby retrieved her trusty bazooka, the only relic of her servitude in the Doflamingo syndicate, and then descended the well-worn path leading into the jungle.

The air was alive with the sounds of the lush wilderness. The cricket song was deafening along the path, for the clumpy grasses towered waist-high. Their wispy fronds kissed Baby's hips and thighs as she strolled down the slight bumpy incline, tickling her skin with their fluffy yellow-green fibers. Fireflies flitted between the thick tree trunks, flickering greeting at Baby as she passed. A tapir lumbered out into the open, its short, stout snout snuffling through the dirt and overturning rocks in search of grubs; Baby 5 politely waited for it to finish its business. The massive creature regarded her with bright, curious eyes and wiggled its short trunk at her before shambling off into the jungle whence it came. She squatted down to observe a troupe of army ants crossing the pathway, careful not to disrupt their march lest she find herself on the business end of their massive mandibles. The forest was very much awake around her, and so Baby 5 found herself even more restless in the throng of its activity.

With a forlorn sigh, she settled herself on a nice, flat rock. Resting her elbows on her knees and pushing her fists into her cheeks, she sulked about her infuriatingly restless mind. With half-lidded eyes, she traced the trail of a meandering stag beetle trundling over the layer of decomposing leaves. It dug its horns into the spongey soil to reveal wriggling white grubs and tiny scuttling roaches. _Eat your fill, little stag beetle, _she thought morosely. _May sleep find you quickly… whenever bugs sleep. _

Baby 5 groaned and hung her head between her knees, tearing her hands into her wavy black hair. Her eyes pulsed with their own heartbeat, clearly wishing to close to the night, but her mind was too busy buzzing with energy to allow that to happen. _Could I be anxious? _She wondered, chewing on the inside of her cheek. _Whatever could I be worried about? _She sat up on the rock, tapping her pursed lip with the pad of her index finger. If anyone had cause to be anxious, it would be Luffy, considering that one of his trusted comrades had essentially been kidnapped. Yet, the captain seemed cool as a cucumber, albeit a little miffed at the bold-as-brass transgression against this authority.

Baby 5 knitted her eyebrows together as a particular thought occurred to her. Is it possible that Luffy's reaction to the situation unnerved her, and she wondered if he was restraining his emotions for his comrades' sakes? _It's as good an explanation as any. _

Baby peered out into the gloom as a twig snapped, piercing the air like a gunshot. The cricket song dimmed as the wee insects investigated the incoming creature, and whether it be friend or foe. Baby craned her neck to peek around the bend in the pathway as the sound of crunching dirt loomed closer by the second. She raised an eyebrow when a pair of familiar sandals tromped into view, followed by a straw hat-wearing noiret who was smiling amiably.

"Oh! There you are, Baby," Luffy called cheerfully when he spotted her perching on the squat rock. He approached her nonchalantly, stopping to place his hands on his hips and gaze out into the night. The crickets had decided that Luffy was not interested in eating them and had begun sounding their cares with fervor. "It's a lovely night for a walk," he remarked, turning glittering black eyes on her. She flushed and fidgeted on the rock.

"Yes, I suppose it is…" His lips edged upwards into a smirk, and his eyebrows crept up.

"Having nightmares again?" he asked worriedly, stroking the pad of his thumb underneath her eyes just like he had done a few nights ago. She turned pink and shook her head vehemently, waving her hands in refusal.

"No, no! I promise I'm not," she insisted. Her hands fell into her lap with a small sigh. Luffy was there, so she might as well openly ponder the intricacies of her psyche. "Truthfully… I'm worried about you, Luffy." His eyebrows inched further up, touching the roots of his dark hair.

"Me? _Why_?"

"Well… Aren't you concerned about Sanji?" Baby 5's eyes widened when he clenched his jaw and glanced off into the distance once more. A silence settled between them as Luffy searched for his words. When he turned back to her, he gestured to the rock. Baby 5 obediently scooched over to allow him access to the stony perch, and with a long sigh, he eased himself down beside her. He rubbed his hands together slowly, worrying his bottom lip with his teeth.

"Yeah. I _am_, Baby," he admitted in a small voice after a few seconds. Baby 5 pressed closer to him and rested her arm on his bicep. She had never heard the sunny, optimistic boy so morose. He laced his fingers together and clenched them so hard that his knuckles glared white. She cooed his name and stroked his arm in an invitation to divulge his complicated feelings to her. "I didn't wanna say anything, because the others are really worried too… If I had my way, we'd be on Whole Cake Island right now, tearing every house apart lookin' for him, but… I know that's dumb. Big Mom is a whole different ball game." Baby 5's bottom lip wobbled. His lack of self-confidence broke her heart.

"Luffy, you'll get Sanji back. I _know_ you will." He sighed forlornly and hung his head, staring miserably down at his clasped hands. She ran her hand from his shoulder down to his wrist, then forced her fingers in-between his so that she could lace theirs together. Baby gave him a robust and reassuring squeeze, making him peer at her out of his peripheral vision. "You're the strongest man I've ever known. Once you set your mind to something, there's no stopping you. Big Mom will rue the day she dared to cross you." A small smile curled onto his lips. He leaned forward to press his forehead against her own, and Baby 5 welcomed it, nestling into him. "Sanji _needs_ you right now, and you're the type of man that will pull through, no matter the obstacles."

"Thanks, Baby," he said softly. She jumped when he suddenly tore away from her to spring from the rock. He flung his arms up into the air and screamed into the night, "Ya hear that, Big Mom? I'm coming to kick your _ass_! So stay right there so you can get what's comin' to ya, _ya ugly old hag_!" As his voice rippled through the forest, bouncing off the tree trunks and waxy leaves, the nightbirds and crickets silenced in awe. For several seconds after his enthusiastic yowling, it was eerily quiet. Finally, a lone owl decided to hoot back in admiration. "Ah, that felt _good_," Luffy exhaled exultantly. Baby 5 giggled. It was so remarkable how he could switch from depressed to determined in a mere instant.

"I'm glad I could make you feel better," Baby smiled as she stood from the rock. Luffy turned to her and opened an arm invitingly, and she immediately snuggled close to him. Rubbing the small of her back with his big, calloused hand, he leaned down to press a kiss to the top of her head. She squeezed her eyes shut as a big smile bloomed on her face. It always made her so happy to feel that she was needed. Although she no longer felt the compulsion to be necessary twenty-four hours a day, to be reminded of her necessity in someone's life was still gratifying. Luffy continued to nuzzle his nose into her coarse black hair, until a long, loud yawn split his face. He smacked his lips together and then tiredly mumbled into her scalp, "Le's go back to bed… I'm sleepy…"

Baby 5 chuckled and rubbed his chest soothingly, then nodded. He wrapped his arms tight around her body, insistent on cuddling as close as possible to the young woman, and so they began to awkwardly penguin-waddle back up the slope. "Baby…?"

"Yes, Luffy?"

"I'm gonna bring Sanji back. Jus' you watch." He sounded half-asleep as he walked, his voice drawling with exhaustion. "I'll meet up with all of you in Wano so we can kick Kaido's ass too…" Baby 5 hummed merrily and affectionately stroked his forearms as he tightened them around her.

"I know you will- because I need you, Luffy." He responded with a mumble that was half-gibberish. Baby 5 chuckled and continued to lug his heavy, sleep-deadened body up the path even as her own eyes began to droop with the onset of drowsiness.

_I'll be waiting… because that is what is needed of me. _


	81. Honest

Category: Mild Romantic Fluff

Characters: Sanji, Nami

Requested By: fangirlingwithnoregrets (Tumblr)

Additional Tags: College AU

Nami groaned miserably and slammed her forehead against the wood of her desk several times, making the cup of pencils rattle towards the edge. Before it could tip over and fall, she reached out to slide it back into a safe position; the room rang with the harsh scrape of the plastic against the desk's surface. Nami pouted at the scattered arrangement of half-written notes and highlighter-covered textbooks sprawled out before her. For as much as Nami adored meteorology- enough to major in it- studying for exams was a big fat major _drag_.

Nami leaned back in the desk chair, making the spine of it bend at a dramatic angle. The cushioned surface squeaked mildly in protest. Nami stretched her arms above her head to ease the tension from her aching back and shoulders; after a series of crackling pops, her muscles loosened, and her vertebrae decompressed satisfyingly. She rolled the chair a few feet away from the desk to stare longingly out of her bedroom window. Her apartment overlooked the beach; what she wouldn't give to be lounging in the sand soaking up the sun's rays at the moment. Her college was on a trimester system, so, unfortunately, her summer break was considerably shorter than others'.

"Which is why I need to study for my finals so I can go get a taaaaan!" she lamented and dramatically splayed herself out in the chair. She slumped down until her entire back was flush to the seat, and her head craned up ninety degrees. Using her toes, she swiveled the desk chair back and forth, but she couldn't bring herself to return to her desk. Nami continued to glower at the clean glass panes of the window-slash-balcony door, until a pop of color caught her eye.

"Hello. What's this?" The mystery item was far more fascinating than memorizing the minutiae of atmospheric patterns, so she hopped up from the chair immediately. A hot, humid breeze with just the faintest hint of salt dove into her room as soon as she cracked the balcony door. Thanks to the shade from the floor above them, the balcony's concrete floor was cool against the soles of Nami's bare feet. She padded over to the outdoor glass table where she had spied the unusual thing. Nami then smirked knowingly, sneaking a glance at the assortment of flowers and ferns clustered around the railing of the balcony. On the table sat a bunch of small flowers from one of the houseplants.

Nami picked it up by the stem and twirled it about, admiring the aromatic scent wafting up from the buds. She then smirked and pressed the cluster of little flowers to her lips, gaze sliding to the other balcony door that led into the living room. That is where she spotted her roommates, Robin and Vivi, enjoying a platter of little finger foods while chatting amiably with the boy who lived across the hall, Sanji.

Well, he wasn't _just _the boy who lived across the hall. He and his entire gaggle of rowdy roommates occupied the floor's multi-bedroom suite, and due to their proximity, the college students had all become fast friends. They often hung out at each other's apartments. Sanji was a bit of a flirt and often came over to woo the ladies; it could easily be annoying, but he was careful to respect personal boundaries and was more adorably playful than creepy, so they didn't mind. He was fond of Nami in particular.

Hence, whenever he jaunted over and found her studying, he would leave a flower on the balcony table where she could see it.

Nami smiled as she twirled the small bunch of flowers against her lips and watched the blond converse amiably with her roommates. He leaned over the bar, tracing abstract patterns into the grain of the granite with a serene smile on his face. He must've cracked a joke, because Vivi and Robin began laughing. His dark eyes flickered to her, and he flashed her a knowing wink.

Nami smiled bashfully and turned to lean against the balcony railing. The waves melodically crashed against the shore in the near distance. Colorful umbrellas and towels and beach chairs demarcated the pristine white dunes, and the beachgoers tromping through the surf and sand were hazy specks. Nami rested her hands on the balcony, with the cluster of flowers hanging down in the open air. The breeze ruffled their small white petals to bring their pleasant, citrusy scent to Nami's nose. Biting down on her bottom lip, she glanced down at the flowers with a giddy feeling bubbling up in her stomach.

_He's sweet, _she thought blissfully. Nami really hadn't given much thought to the routine gesture before, but now that she did, she realized that Sanji only did small things like this for _her_. He would drop by to tell her when the tangerine seller at the local farmer's market had pitched his stall. One time when she was ill with the flu and Vivi and Robin were out of town, he slept on the couch and tended to her for four whole days. After every successful exam, he'd make her a special tangerine sherbet sundae, without fail. Then, there were the little flowers he left in plain view when she studied. She brought the fragrant buds to her mouth again, feeling the soft petals against her glossed lips as they curled into a smile.

_Could he be sweet on me? _

"Sorry, ladies! I'm just going out for a smoke!" Nami heard Sanji's muffled voice cry, followed by the scraping of the balcony door as it opened. Nami continued to gaze out at the horizon, swirling the bunch of flowers while Sanji strode up. Out of the corners of her eyes, she observed him strike his lighter and light the end of the cigarette. He exhaled the gray smoke and crossed his arms against the railing, leaning against it.

"So, how goes studying for finals?"

"Agonizing. I want to go to the beach," Nami replied with a wrinkle of her nose. Sanji chuckled and flicked some of the ash off the balcony before taking another drag.

"You mean learning about clouds and rain isn't interesting?" He joked, earning a light shove to his shoulder from the redhead. He laughed as he stumbled to the side, holding up his cigarette so that it didn't bang against the railing. "Right, sorry, _of course _it's interesting," he corrected with a cocky smirk. When he glanced at her, his eyes dropped to the bunch of flowers she primly held between her index and middle fingers. "Ah, so you noticed."

"Of course I noticed. You leave them for me all the time." He flushed and scratched at the back of his head with a free hand.

"You work so hard. I just thought you could use a flower or two to brighten up your workspace," Sanji smiled shyly. Nami rolled on her heels so that her elbows were now propped on the rail. She pressed her back against it. She flitted the flowers back in forth in front of her like a small white flag, and regarded him with a flirtatious smile.

"You know, when a guy leaves a girl flowers, it's _usually_ a nice big bouquet." Sanji clenched the cigarette between his teeth as his cheeks brightened to a rosy hue. Nami laughed loudly and nudged his bicep with her elbow. "I'm _joking_!" she clarified, then looked down at the clump of blossoms. "I appreciate the gesture. They always do make me feel better."

"Well, I'm glad." A comfortable silence drifted between them. Grey-white smoke wisped before his face as he thoughtfully chewed on the end of the cigarette. Nami watched the ghostly tendrils kiss his defined features and pluck at his strands of blond hair. With the way his bangs hung, she couldn't read his expression, as it covered the majority of the right side of his face. Nami supposed she ought just to ask him outright.

"Hey, Sanji, do you like me?"

Sanji released a choking spluttering sound. They both watched with wide eyes as his cigarette fell out of his mouth and sailed several stories to plop onto the concrete sidewalk below. An elderly lady jumped as the still-lit bud landed in front of her, and she shook her fist at them and cursed.

"It was an _accident, _you old biddy! Get over it!" Sanji shouted over the railing before whirling around with a huff. He crossed his arms and peered at her through the corners of his eyes; his left side now face her so that she could see the contemplative glimmer in his dark irises. He worried his bottom lip with his teeth, debating how to answer before he exhaled deeply through his nose. The lingering amount of smoke streamed from his nostrils before adsorbing into the air. "If we're bein' honest here, _yeah_, Nami, I do," he frowned and rubbed the back of his neck with a large palm. He cast his gaze up at the white ceiling of the balcony bottom above them. "I just didn't want to say anything because I figured you wouldn't give me the time of day."

"Because you flirt with everything that breathes?"

"I _resent_ that! But yes," he huffed haughtily and tapped on the floor with to toe of his shoe. Nami giggled and waved the cluster of flowers about. Their scent mingled with the faint aroma of cigarette smoke. "You're an amazing, beautiful, outstanding woman, Nami- and I'm just… well, _me_."

"I don't see anything wrong with that," the redhead shrugged and turned to face the beach again. She smiled warmly as she watched the waves roll in and out, bubbling with white surf. "Sure, you flirt, but it's because you want to make everyone feel beautiful, right?" As she side-eyed him, Sanji's visible eyebrow crept up his forehead. Nami smiled wider and lolled her head onto her shoulder as she eyed the quaint bunch of blossoms. "I can't think of many guys that are so blatantly good and chivalrous."

He clicked his teeth as a pink hue rose to his cheeks again.

"Well, when you put it _that_ way…" he smiled teasingly and bumped her shoulder with his. Nami snickered and returned the gesture, and they spent a few minutes just knocking each other around on the railing. After they draped themselves back over the metal, faces flushed from breathy laughter, Nami hummed and tucked the plume of flowers behind her ear.

"I like you too, Sanji. I suppose all your kind little gestures have had their intended effect."

"You make it sound _devious_," he grinned and laid his cheek on his arms to flutter his long lashes at her. Nami snorted and flicked him in the forehead, prompting him to stand back up. "So, does this mean you'll go on a date with me?"

"That depends. What does Mr. Chivalry have in mind?" Nami teased. He rolled his eyes, knowing perfectly well Nami was going to accept, but still grinned flirtatiously and ran a hand up her arm.

"Oh, I don't know… A steak dinner… A homemade tiramisu… maybe a bottle of wine," Sanji offered vaguely. Nami's lips curled into a toothy smirk, and she snuggled up to him, tugging on the collar of his button-up shirt.

"Hm. This pleases me," she decided after a second of pseudo-consideration. Sanji tipped his head back with a gravelly chuckle before looking down at her in adulation.

"Glad to hear it. Tomorrow at eight?"

"Sorry, Romeo," Nami sighed exaggeratedly and pushed away from him to head to the sliding glass doors to her bedroom. She made a point to put a little extra sway of her hips as she walked. She paused in the threshold of the doors, pouting. "I still have my final."

"What a shame. How about I bring some wine-infused ice cream around eleven, then?"

"Now _that _is a date!" Sanji snickered again and gave her a light wave as she slipped back into her bedroom. After she slid it shut behind her, she rested a moment against the frame, unable to control the giddy smile blooming over her features. She plucked the cluster of flowers from behind her ear and twisted it by the stem, chewing excitedly on her lip. _It's a date, _she thought happily.

She could study a bit more if wine-infused ice cream and a handsome man were on the line, if she were honest.


	82. Tangerines and Stardust

Category: Mild Romantic Fluff

Characters: Nami, Monkey D. Luffy

Requested By: xfangheartx (Tumblr)

_**Alternatum to A Canvas of Stars **_

A serene smile graced Nami's face as she stared through the glass dome of the observatory perched atop the _Thousand Sunny. _Beyond the smooth, bright surface of the curved window lie a beautiful expanse of indigo blue peppered with pinpricks of white. The stars twinkled jovially down at Nami in greeting as she climbed up the rest of the ladder and flipped the hatch closed. She strolled over to the semicircular leather couches on the other side of the room and eased herself down with a contented sigh. She grabbed one of the throw pillows to tuck it underneath her head and drew her legs against her body. Nami pulled out a small scrap of paper and inspected it critically before tossing it aside.

"All right, meteor shower! Grace me with your wonder," she chuckled softly and cuddled into the sofa. The atmosphere was peaceful and pleasant- a rarity aboard the pirate ship plagued by chaos and various shenanigans. The quiet nearly lulled her to sleep, but Nami stubbornly remained awake, eager to witness the splendor of the celestial phenomenon.

The navigator nearly jumped out of her skin when the trap door she had just entered through slammed open. A straw hat and fluffy black hair wormed through; Luffy's head turned in a circle, investigating the domed room, before his big blank eyes landed on the irked girl. Nami grimaced as a bright smile appeared on his boyish features.

"Oh! There you are, Nami!" he chirped. Nami sighed in defeat, rubbing her temples as she resigned herself to the fact that her night was to be ruined before it had even begun. The soles of the captain's flip-flops slapped against the rungs of the ladder as he climbed up; Nami winced as the room then rang with the harsh clang of the metal door banging closed after Luffy swung it shut with his foot. She tried to hide a disappointed frown as Luffy tromped over to her. "Whatcha doin'?"

"Well, I _was _going to watch the meteor shower that is happening in a few minutes," she huffed as she sat up on the couch. "What do you need?" she followed wearily. Perhaps Luffy's request was simple, and she would have a few moments to catch the tail end of the display. Luffy blinked slowly down at her before unceremoniously flopping down on the couch beside her. "Eh-? Luffy! What'd you come up here for?"

"We can handle that in a minute. You're really excited to watch this meteor shower or whatever, right? So, let's watch," he answered in a firm and authoritative voice. Nami's eyelashes fluttered a few times in shock. _Wow, how… generous. _Nami certainly wasn't going to argue, so she hugged her knees to her chest and stared out the giant glass window. The glittering night sky sparkled uninterrupted beyond, and several seconds passed. She was aware of Luffy fidgeting impatiently, but to his credit, he remained silent. That is, until a slight shiver gripped Nami's body. "Are you cold, Nami?" he immediately asked. His large eyes peered at her in the dim gloom.

"Huh? No, I-" He didn't wait for her to answer before he tugged a throw blanket from the back of the couch and unfolded it. It expanded like a rippling flag in front of him, and he took a few moments to shake out the wrinkles. Nami's cheeks brightened to a rosy hue as he shoved his leg behind her back, forcing her to scoot forward towards the edge of the couch. Luffy wormed his way behind her, and one of his arms snaked around her middle. He tugged her backward, such that her body was flush against his torso. Still holding the blanket aloft, he grabbed it by the edge and whipped it like a cape; like fluttering drapery, it descended over their shoulders to envelop them in cozy warmth. Nami blushed fiercer as the captain chuckled good-naturedly in her ear.

"There we go! All nice and warm," he hummed, clearly pleased. Nami had to admit that snuggling with the captain within the throw blanket was very cozy indeed. She coughed awkwardly, trying to will the fire from her cheeks, and muttered something acceptable in response. Luffy clicked his tongue in satisfaction before plopping his chin atop her head. "All right! Let's see these meteor showers."

As if on cue, a sudden bright light streaked across the sky. Nami and Luffy both released awed "ooh's" at the little stripe of white across the starry sky. Then, the air alit with multiple small streaks. Nami's brown eyes glittered as they beheld the wondrous array exploding beyond the wide window; it looked like someone was flicking a white pencil across the inky landscape to create little silvery marks. They existed only in brief flashes, lasting mere seconds, before they faded into the shadows. She felt Luffy's arms wind tighter around her waist, and warmth bloomed against her back where his front pressed against her. A smile slowly formed on her lips.

"Aren't they beautiful, Luffy?" she murmured. His chin rubbed against her waves of tangerine hair as he nodded.

"Yeah. I can see why you were so excited to see them," Luffy answered quietly. Nami wasn't sure if he actually was awestruck, or if he simply wanted to be polite for Nami's sake, but she liked to think the former. The sky was streaked with dozens of the falling objects now. They blazed bright white as they burned away in the atmosphere to rain stardust upon the Earth. Nami marveled at the beautiful display in silence, warmed by Luffy's body heat as it diffused through the small bubble the blanket created.

A blush formed on Nami's cheeks as Luffy shifted so that his cheek pressed against the top of Nami's head. It was odd, yet not uncomfortable, so she didn't admonish him. Desperate to diminish the awkward tension stretching inside of her, Nami fumbled for a topic of conversation.

"Sooo… Luffy, why were you looking for me earlier?" Nami asked. The boy neglected to answer for a moment. She thought perhaps he was still admiring the meteor shower, but in fact, he was staring at the ceiling, apparently searching for words.

"I just wanted to see you, I guess. I like being with you, Nami." The childlike honesty sent ripples of confused happiness pulsing through Nami's body. She felt her skin growing hot, and suddenly, being wrapped in the blanket and Luffy's embrace bordered on stifling. Yet, she liked the way his arms secured her body against his; she liked the little circles his thumb traced into the junction of her hip and waist. _Feels nice… _she thought absently. She could feel that he was smiling by the stretch of his cheek against his scalp.

"Oh. Well… I like being with you too, Luffy," she responded simply. His chest rumbled with a pleased chuckle. Nami smiled sweetly as his arms crushed against her torso in a firm yet not painful hug. "You know… I'm glad you happened to come up here and watch the meteor shower with me." Although she planned to enjoy the celestial phenomenon alone, she had to admit that enjoying it with her beloved captain was actually preferable. Luffy chuckled lightheartedly again and nuzzled his face into her bright orange hair.

She turned her face once more to the giant window. The meteor shower was winding down; with every second that passed, fewer streaks of white appeared in the sky. It was remarkable how a few minutes of her time could make such an impression. Nami knew that she would treasure these few moments for a long time. The brilliant meteor shower… The coziness of the blanket and her captain's sturdy arms holding her close… They were memories she would look back upon fondly. Nami was not ignorant of the implications of the kinds of things she was feeling right now. A blush had made permanent residence upon her face, and she peered up through her bangs to see the brim of Luffy's straw hat gently shifting as he adjusted his perch atop her head.

"Hey, Luffy?"

"Nnnh?" His voice was groggy; apparently, the captain was attempting to fall asleep using the navigator as a pillow. Nami wriggled her shoulders to nudge him about until he bleated a couple of grumpy mutters. "Whaaat?" He remained sluggish as she tilted her body to the side, and his head plopped down on her shoulder. "Hey, I was comfortable up there…" He protested half-heartedly. Like a cat, he immediately sought the heat of her body and thus snuggled up to her next. An odd shiver traveled up the length of Nami's spine as his breath puffed over her pulse point. She then rolled her eyes when Luffy released a very unflattering _snoooork! _Suppressing chuckles, she forced his face away from her neck by cupping his cheeks. As she squished the pliable flesh, he pouted at her through narrowed eyes and pursed lips.

"Nami, why're you so mean? I wanna _sleep_," he whined.

"You can nap in a second. I just wanna try something first," Nami laughed. Luffy blinked curiously at her. Before he could inquire, Nami leaned forward to peck him on the lips. Luffy's eyes blew wide at the small romantic gesture, and remained rigid as she pulled back to flutter her eyelashes demurely. After a second, he sucked in his cheeks to wiggle his lips like a fish's.

"That was interesting." He said after he popped his cheeks back out. Nami giggled at his cute childishness. His dark eyes flipped down to his lips to hyperfocus on them, bringing a red flush to her cheeks. "Can I try?" The simple question made her heart flip-flop in her chest, sending a peculiar rush of panic and excitement through her veins. Before she even registered the motion, she nodded. Luffy continued to stare intently at her mouth as he closed the distance between their faces. Nami parted her lips slightly on reflex. When his mouth met hers, she hummed in satisfaction, because she had the oddest sense of coming home.

One wouldn't imagine Luffy as a romantic fellow, but Nami had to admit, the boy had some _pretty_ good instincts when it came to kissing. His mouth moved gently against hers, adjusting to the natural flow of the soft skin melding together. Nami's hand trailed up the bulk of his forearm to rest on his bicep. When Luffy pulled back, Nami was still enveloped in the pleasurable haze and so chased his lips as they retreated. Luffy rewarded her with another light peck on the lips before firmly putting a hand on her chest to bring her back down to solid ground. Nami's eyelashes fluttered as she returned to reality; when she did, she blushed darkly. A silence settled between them, for neither of them knew what to do next.

"It's late," she finally murmured. Luffy blinked before glancing out the window at the night sky. Though the meteor shower had ceased, the stars still gleamed in the inky blackness, like thousands of curious eyes watching the new romance unfold with fixed rapture. When he looked back to her, he had that childlike glitter in his big round eyes.

"Nami! You wanna sleep with me tonight?" Though she knew Luffy's intentions were purely innocent, a blush still overtook Nami's body from her toes to the tips of her ears. Without waiting for an answer, Luffy bundled her up in the blanket and flopped onto his side. She fell against the couch alongside him. He curled around her with a happy purr, hooking one of his legs over hers and hugging her waist tightly. Nami knew that Luffy would immediately release her if she expressed any discomfort and hesitation, but Nami didn't feel the need to voice such, because she was far from uncomfortable. Nami craned her head as Luffy nosed at her ear, and when she presented her neck to him, he immediately dove in to snuggle once more into the junction of her throat and shoulder. Her heart sung with joy as she felt his lips curl into a smile against her skin.

"You smell good… Like tangerines and stardust," he mumbled foggily. Nami snorted in laughter, because she had no idea what stardust would smell like- sugar, maybe? Regardless, Luffy inhaled her natural scent with enthusiasm, and she wriggled close to him as he released the breath over her neck. "G'night, Nami," he yawned. Nami chuckled and ran her fingertips over his arms, tracing the patterns of the constellations into his arms.

"Good night, Luffy." The boy was already asleep, evidenced by his deep, even breaths and lack of response. Nami cuddled into him as the starlight streamed in through the giant window, and Nami fancied that stardust glittered on her skin as it gleamed in the white light. _Tangerines and stardust, _she thought dreamily as she drifted into the twilight of half-sleep. _And somebody I love, _she mused with a big smile, plucking the straw hat from Luffy's head and setting on the floor to tease her fingers into the surprisingly soft strands of his dark black hair. She held Luffy tenderly as she drifted off to sleep.

_I'm glad I didn't end up spending the night alone… _


	83. Inclined to Agree

Category: Mild Romantic Fluff

Characters: Roronoa Zoro, Nico Robin

Requested By: Anonymous User

Zoro grimaced as he side-eyed the remarkably giant centipede slowly meandering its way up to the broad trunk of the tree beside him. The long, gangly creature clacked its sharp mandibles as it scuttled over the rough brown surface. It paused, groping its feelers over the tree. Zoro scowled when its thin, wispy antennae inched towards him, followed by the centipede's carapaced body. Zoro grunted a warning when the creepy-crawler began poking at his broad shoulder with its noodly appendages. The centipede froze, feelers twitching in the air; it then apparently decided that messing with Zoro was counterproductive to its survival, so it turned and moseyed along back up the tree. The swordsman growled unappreciatively and glared down at Robin, who was digging in the dirt a few yards away.

"Why are we here in this godforsaken jungle again?" he complained loudly. Of course, he knew _why_; the Straw Hats simply couldn't ignore a new island once they happened upon it, especially one so wild and untamed as this. It reminded Zoro of Little Garden. He smirked as he recalled the prehistoric island and its pair of giant residents; the memories were a little fuzzy, considering that adventure had occurred over two years ago. This jungle was not nearly as crazy, for most of the creatures were normal-sized, but it still possessed an aura of novelty and lawlessness. Still, Zoro would much rather be tromping around searching for a giant beast to slay rather than nosing through the underbrush for… whatever Robin was searching for. The archaeologist had been too absorbed in her work to answer him, so he gruffly repeated the question.

"Hmm?" Robin hummed inquiringly and turned her bright bluish-purple eyes on him. As she rose from her squatting position, she clapped the dirt from her hands and wiped the lingering particles off on her jean shorts. "We're investigating this island for signs of ancient civilization," Robin reminded him kindly. She then frowned at the patch of dirt she had been excavating. "A few centimeters or so beneath the soil layer is a stone pathway leading deeper into the jungle," she reported. Zoro honestly couldn't care less about ancient ruins or civilizations or whatever, but he refrained from grumping merely to preserve the happy smile on Robin's face. He raised an eyebrow when the tall, thin woman gestured for him to approach.

"What? You need somethin'?" His eyebrow inched further up his forehead when she tugged one of his sheathed katanas from his harimaki. He then grimaced when she began slamming the hilt into the ground, filling the air with a combination of dull thumps and sharp clangs. "_Hey_!"

"Shh. I'm searching for the path," Robin responded, as if using one of Zoro's swords as a glorified walking stick was a completely acceptable thing to do. Zoro shambled behind her as she pushed into the underbrush, using the series of metallic noises to guide her way. They slowly crept their way downhill, following the stone path that either peeked out at them through the thick grass or vanished under the dirt altogether. Robin would occasionally stop to dig a little into the earth with the hilt of the sword, making Zoro scowl at the prospect of picking muck from the cloth wrapping.

"Stop disrespecting my katana, Robin," he griped as she used the sword to scour an inch-deep trench in the soil to find the stone path again. Robin ignored him and continued to tromp along through the jungle. Zoro cursed under his breath at her disobedience, but had no choice but to follow her through the thick vegetation. Gradually, the trees thinned out, and the puddles of light expanded as holes opened up in the canopy. The stone path became easier to detect, but Robin kept clutching the sword as she marched down the gradually steepening hill. Zoro found a bit more difficulty in picking his way down the incline, and the distance began widening between himself and the archaeologist. "Oi, Robin, don't go so fast!"

As the jungle resounded with a shrill scream and the rush of disturbed leaves, Zoro realized that his warning came too late. As quickly as he could without suffering the same fate, the pirate scrambled down to the base of the ravine. He found Robin curled up at the bottom of the incline, groaning with her hands wrapped around her slim ankle. "Oh, brother," he sighed underneath his breath and jogged over. "Robin? Are you okay?" he asked as he knelt beside her. He wrapped his hand around the back of her head, pushing through the dark strands of her hair to check for blood. He didn't feel anything, so he gently pushed her onto her back, careful not to jostle her too much in case she suffered from broken bones.

"I may have gotten a little excited," she wheezed with a tiny smile. If she was joking, she wasn't in too severe pain, so it made Zoro feel a little better. He brushed the damp earth and half-decomposed leaves from her clothes as he gave her a once-over. "I'm all right, except I think I may have sprained my ankle," she huffed and motioned with her chin to the distant joint. Zoro crawled down to her feet to inspect the wounded area. Robin gasped in pain as he gently teased her shoe off her foot, then flopped her head back against the ground. "Actually, it may be broken."

"That's for Chopper to say," he grimaced. From his lamen's perspective, however, he was inclined to agree. Robin's ankle had already swollen to the size of the baseball and was turning an ugly red-purple color. If by some miracle it wasn't broken, it was severely sprained. Either way, she would not be walking. "All right… Let's get you back to the _Sunny_."

"What? No! I want to find out where the path leads," she protested. Zoro growled under his breath and glanced at the stony trail meandering deeper into the jungle. _This is ridiculous, _he thought, but when he looked back to Robin, her eyes narrowed pleadingly. "Please?"

"Ugh, _fine_!" he agreed disgruntedly. Robin flashed him a pleased smile, then boosted herself up on her elbows so that she could sit up. Zoro plopped down beside her, his back facing the girl, and indicated for her to clamber on. Her slim arms languidly looped around his neck, and she latched one leg around his middle; Zoro gingerly grabbed her injured leg and secured his hand under her knees, letting her injured ankle dangle. "Upsie-daisy," he grunted, sliding his feet in the loose detritus to get himself the best leverage. He pushed his katana underneath her rump, using it to bear her weight. With a drawn-out exhale, he rose from the ground as carefully as he could. Robin's ankle still brushed against his thigh, making her hiss in his ear. "Sorry."

"It's fine." The agony in her voice indicated otherwise. "Let's go!" she insisted with a wave at the underbrush. Zoro had to chuckle at her tenacity, and he adjusted his grip on the sword beneath her body before setting off down the path.

The ground was relatively flat now, so carrying Robin through the jungle was much less laborious than it could have been. When the directionally-challenged pirate began to meander away from the thin stony ribbon waving through the thick green, Robin would gently nudge him back in the right direction. The trees grew sparser and shorter, gradually turning into leafy shrubs no taller than six feet or so. Ferns and bushes and wildflowers dominated the open spaces between their twisting roots. Sunshine poured down from the sky to illuminate the green grass, but as Zoro craned his neck to peer into the distance, he couldn't see any notable landmarks.

"Robin, are you sure this path actually leads somewhere?"

"It must; otherwise, why would there be a path?" the woman countered smartly. Zoro huffed at her snarky remark but dutifully continued to follow the track. With all the sunshine, the temperature of the area was remarkably hotter, and a thin sheen of sweat appeared on his body. His breath soon came in small pants, and the moisture pooled on his brow to begin rolling down the side of his face. Just as he was about to gripe to Robin again and propose they just run around, the remaining forest fell away. "Wow..." Robin breathed as she peered over his shoulder, and though he said nothing, Zoro was definitely inclined to agree.

A spacious clearing stretched before them. The shrubby trees and bushes ringed the area, and clumps of colorful, aromatic wildflowers dotted the carpet of green grass. The stone path branched into a tree-like collection of meandering trails a few feet ahead of Zoro. These diverging pathways led to massive stone structures scattered around the clearing, great hunks of carved stone half-collapsed and blanketed in moss and vines. Though they were clearly disheveled, the sheer size and mastery of the architecture were still imposing, even to Zoro. Robin eagerly spurred him forward, and his legs obeyed without actual responsive thought.

"Whoa," he blinked when he walked up to one of the collapsed buildings. What he assumed to be the load-bearing crossbeams at the front were inscribed with ornate floral carvings. Very faint and flaky chips of colorful pigments clung to the rough gray stone, and Zoro struggled to imagine the building completely intact and alive with bright, imaginative paintings. Eventually, the blurry image formed in his mind, and he had to admit that it made a fantastic picture.

"And you wanted to turn back," Robin chuckled teasingly. Zoro snorted and adjusted the katana, boosting the woman further up on his back. Her fingers clawed into the thick cloth of his clothes as she leaned over his shoulders, trying to prevent herself from slipping off. "See what you would have missed?"

"Yep. A bunch of rocks." Robin huffed and slapped him lightly upside his head, obviously displeased with his dismissive attitude. "Ow! I was _joking_!" he complained loudly and once again adjusted the katana. "All right, all right, we found out where the path leads. Can we go home now? You're not exactly light, you know."

"First of all, it's rude to insult a lady's weight," she snorted and pushed down on his shoulders as she craned her neck to look around the clearing. "Secondly, just think of it as training! I want to get a good look at all these structures. They're in serious disrepair, but that doesn't mean that I can't learn something from them." Zoro grumbled under his breath as she obediently began ferrying her towards the next collapsed stone building.

"Here's a fact- everyone who lived here is _dead_."

"Yes, most probably so. And why is that? Was there a famine? A plague? Were they taken, or did they leave voluntarily? There are several possibilities, and that is _vexing_," she said as he stopped in front of the next structure. Frowning, she patted his shoulder and asked him to venture into the rubble through the man-sized gap between the precariously stacked slabs. She flapped her pretty eyelashes at him with a pleading pout, and that's all it took for him to stoop down to clamber into the half-collapsed building.

Gloom shrouded them like a veil. The only light filtered in through the small gaps in the stones, spearing through the darkness like arrows to punch into the concrete foundation. Robin squinted at the dark ground with a thoughtful frown, drinking in the dust and decayed leaves and shattered ceramics littering the floor. The remains of a woven blanket or rug sprawled over the floor, and Zoro grunted as his shoes became entangled in the loose threads. As he kicked at the stubbornly clinging fibers, Robin hummed contemplatively. "How peculiar…"

"What?" he asked and finally kicked the threadbare rug away.

"Well, everything is in its place. In its prime, this would look like a typical home. It leads me to believe that the abandonment of this place is not a mass exodus." Zoro raised an eyebrow as he glanced around the humble hovel.

"You can tell all that from just one look?" Robin smiled sweetly and patted him on the head, making him huff haughtily.

"That's a skill required of an archaeologist. Now then, on to the next one."

Zoro and Robin spent the next hour perusing the forgotten settlement, flitting from one empty and dilapidated building to the next. The other residences were in similar states of stasis as the first; though degraded, the furniture and decorations remained in eerily lifelike positions. Based on Robin's discoveries of a vast stockpile of medical herbs and a pile of old bones in one household, Robin concluded that it had indeed been a plague that wiped out the small civilization.

"Such a pity," she tutted as Zoro prodded at the femur lying on the stone floor, making it roll a few inches. Teeth and claw marks littered the grainy off-white surface of the calcified bone, evidence that an animal had gleefully devoured much of the corpse. "They buried everyone in this village but had no one to bury them. No one to _mourn_ them." Zoro tilted his head back to squint at the cracked ceiling and the light seeping through the thin crevices. The deep golden hue of the sunlight indicated to Zoro that sunset was not far off.

"We should go," he remarked, and without waiting for an answer, he exited the derelict abode. Indeed, the bubbling sun swiftly drifted down towards the horizon, turning the emerald world around them vibrant hues of gold, orange, and red. "How's your ankle?" he asked with a glance at her face. It had taken on a pallid hue, and a sheen of sweat glimmered on her brow as she laid her cheek against his broad shoulder. She didn't need to answer to tell him that her pain had worsened considerably. "Don't worry. We'll getcha home soon," he smiled reassuringly, to which Robin responded with a weary smile. He set off into the jungle.

"Zoro… The opposite direction."

"_Ugh_!"

By the time they made it to the shore, the sun was just melding with the sea. With a breathy exhale, he paused in the white sand to stare out at the horizon. At some point in the journey, Robin had dozed off. She slumped onto his back like a koala. As the light flashed against the water, it reflected over her eyes. The bright light slowly drew her into the realm of consciousness, causing her to blink blearily and yawn. As she slowly sat up to look at the horizon, she hummed contentedly.

"Wow. What a beautiful sunset." Zoro wasn't by any means the aesthetic sort, but he was inclined to agree. The sun melted into the sapphire water, scattering light particles over the sloshing waves to make them shimmer like thousands of diamonds. The colors of the sky bled into each other like ink- yellow phasing into red into the deep black of night. At the highest peak of the sky, the stars blinked into existence, and the white moon hung low, awaiting its turn to shine light down upon the world. Robin sighed deeply, then laid her head back on his shoulder. "Do you think that villager saw the sunset before he died?"

Zoro narrowed his eyes, perplexed as to why Robin was so obsessed with the dead guy. _Wait a minute… _

"This isn't really about the dead villager, is it?" Robin remained silent, only drawing abstract patterns into his sleeve. After a few seconds of silence, she quietly admitted, "No." Zoro knitted her sea-green eyebrows together as he regarded her critically.

"Well then, what _is _it about?"

"Sometimes I can't help but think I'll die like that. Alone, with no one to grieve me," Robin answered morosely. "Just forgotten in an unmarked grave…" Zoro's eyes widened in shock, and an embarrassed blush appeared on her cheeks.

"Robin, you're one of us, you know," he huffed. He knew that Robin understood that, but clearly, her subconscious was making it difficult for her to process logic. "We'd never let you die like that. I mean, if we _were_ to die, it would probably be all together sinking into the ocean." Robin snorted unexpectedly with laughter, burying her face into the junction of his neck and shoulder as she snickered.

"Thank you. That's reassuring," Robin teased sarcastically. Zoro rolled his eyes and butted the top of her head with the side of his, making her cry out indignantly.

"Hey. I'm not one for pep talks. I'm doing my _best_ here."

"I know," she chuckled and smiled gratefully at him. "I do feel better, actually."

"Good!" He asserted and headed down to the beach. Robin blinked as he unabashedly kicked off his shoes and waded calf-deep into the surf.

"I thought we were going to the ship?"

"Takin' the scenic route!" he laughed. Robin screamed as a wave suddenly crashed into them, soaking them both profusely. Robin boxed him over the head as saltwater dripped from her clothes. Zoro laughed mirthfully as he kicked up his leg and splashed a little more into her face, making her tug at his short green hairs. As the sun dipped below the horizon, gracing the world with the last few seconds of light before fading away, the moonlight washed over them to paint them white. Zoro glanced over his shoulder at Robin, smirking at her breathless and blissful expression. "I mean it."

"Mean what?" she asked while tucking a salt-kissed, damp strand of her violet-black hair behind her ear. Blushing a little, he dropped his gaze to the frothy surf writhing around his knees.

"I won't let you die like that. _Alone_. Even if it's just the two of us, I won't let you die like that." Out of his peripheral vision, Zoro watched her blink slowly in surprise. She then giggled and leaned in to peck him on the cheek lightly. Zoro released a sound somewhere between a grunt and a squeak, while his cheeks turned the color of the dying sun.

"That was a pretty good pep talk." Mumbling under his breath, Zoro adjusted Robin's position on his back and began walking towards the spot on the beach where the _Sunny _was moored. Robin purred contentedly and wound her arms loosely around his neck. Her fingers dipped down to paint invisible patterns along his collarbone. When she settled her head into the crook of his neckline, he leaned in to press his cheek against the top of her head. "I'm glad it was just the two of us today," she piped up. Zoro's lips curled into a smirk.

He was inclined to agree.


End file.
